'Tipping point': Farmers block roads across Germany

DW (English)

Thousands of farmers are staging a week-long series of blockades of transport links across the country. They oppose plans by the German government to reduce subsidies on fuel used in agriculture.

Transcript

00:00 They are furious.

00:02 Driving hundreds of tractors, German farmers rolled into the center of Berlin.

00:07 They want the government to roll back plant cuts to diesel subsidies, which will make

00:12 fuel for agricultural vehicles more expensive.

00:18 You can just see all around that people are unhappy with the government.

00:22 I think that's why more and more people are joining us.

00:25 You can see it here.

00:26 Shipping companies are here.

00:28 Tradespeople are here.

00:29 All hard-working people from the middle class who are also struggling with rising prices

00:34 and other things.

00:39 The German government has already repealed some of the cuts.

00:43 But many of the farmers say it's not enough.

00:47 They found support among the conservative opposition.

00:55 It is clear to see Germany is at a tipping point.

00:58 The government has polarized this country in a way we haven't seen in decades.

01:07 One of the protest's main targets is German economy minister Robert Habeck.

01:11 He has warned against extremist leanings among those taking part in the rally.

01:17 Calls for a government overthrow are being circulated.

01:20 Extremist groups are being formed and nationalist symbols are being openly displayed.

01:25 It's becoming clear that something has shifted in recent years, lifting the boundaries of

01:30 legitimate democratic protest and freedom of expression so that what used to be unspeakable

01:35 now seems to be legitimized.

01:38 Habeck recently experienced the farmers' anger himself.

01:42 Last week, a group of protesters tried to storm a ferry he was on.

01:47 The German Farmers Association has distanced itself from the incident.

01:53 And in Berlin, too, some fear that the protest movement could be exploited by the far right.

01:58 I just hope that the AfD party doesn't benefit too much from this.

02:03 That wouldn't help us in Germany in the long term either.

02:07 The farmers want to continue protesting all week.

02:10 They want to make it clear to the government that they aren't ready to back down.

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