Under the slogan "Too much is too much", hundreds of farmers and foresters from several federal states protested against the federal government's budget policy in Magdeburg on Sunday afternoon. Many demonstrators drove to Magdeburg Cathedral Square on tractors, honking their horns loudly. Signs and banners read: "Traffic light madness not on the backs of farmers" and "Political dung does not fertilize". According to the police, the number of participants was around 900, 5000 had been registered. Officers counted almost 200 tractors and trucks.
Martin Dippe, President of the Saxony-Anhalt Farmers' Association, said that farmers were not only concerned about their own interests, but also about the interests of the middle of society. The government must change course and move away from further burdens. The protests should not be allowed to fizzle out.
Farmers have been taking to the streets across Germany for weeks, partly because of the planned abolition of tax relief on agricultural diesel in several stages. However, the federal government had previously withdrawn even more far-reaching plans. Farmers are also criticizing lower subsidies from Brussels, the increase in truck tolls and bureaucratic hurdles. Several farmers' organizations had called for the demonstration.
