Large Farmer Protests Continue: No Major Chaos in Erzgebirge Yet
The farmer protests in Germany’s Erzgebirge region have entered another day with no major chaos reported so far. The police have issued a warning about traffic disruptions related to car convoys heading for a demonstration in Dresden. The police are expecting delays, demonstrations, and temporary road closures on highways and access roads to Dresden during the arrival and departure periods, between 6 AM and 8 PM. Motorists are advised to exercise caution due to potential traffic jams and demonstrations.
On Tuesday, numerous farmers from various regions, including the Vogtland and Landkreis Zwickau, gathered for demonstrations. The police in Zwickau reported a total of 31 gatherings in the region, ten of which were not registered. The largest traffic restrictions occurred in Treuen in the Vogtland region, where despite regular blockage openings, a long traffic backlog formed. Smaller traffic disruptions were also observed at the Klinkhartdstraße and Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße intersection in Reichenbach and at the Plauener Schöpsdrehe intersection.
A 21-year-old German individual, expressing his frustration during a verbal altercation at the Plauen-Süd junction blockage, repeatedly showed a brass knuckle to a 49-year-old participant of the demonstration. As a result, the 21-year-old will now face charges for threat and violation of weapons laws. In Zwickau, unregistered blockades, particularly at the B93 entrance, caused traffic disruptions. Due to major congestion, the road was closed by deployment forces in late morning, diverting traffic at the Crossen exit. A 45-year-old German driver collided with a tractor while attempting to enter the A4 at the Hohenstein-Ernstthal junction. Despite causing damage worth approximately €2,500, the driver attempted to leave the accident scene which led to charges for hit-and-run and property damage. In Schöneck, a Nissan driver attempted to join a convoy and evade a police inspection. The 36-year-old German fled at high speed, and an investigation for dangerous interference with traffic is now underway.
The Chemnitz police provided an update on the second day of farmer protests, reporting a total of 74 assemblies taking place in Chemnitz, Mittelsachsen, and the Erzgebirge region by 5 PM. Although the Erzgebirgskreis had issued a ban on protests that could lead to permanent blockades, the police were committed to assessing each blockade individually while considering the freedom to assemble. The police engaged in conversations with the organizers, ensuring that no permanent blockades occurred. No incidents related to the protests were reported, but there were occasional traffic disruptions and delays in public transportation. The occupied access roads at the Stollberg-Nord and Stollberg-West junctions on the A72, which were blocked since around 5 AM, were cleared at 3 PM and reopened at 3:25 PM. Assemblies on federal and state roads gradually ended after 3 PM.
Over 800 people with around 665 vehicles participated in the protests, causing significant traffic disruptions. As of now, no violent incidents have been reported in connection with the protests. On Wednesday morning, traffic disruptions are expected again due to farmer protests. Tractor convoys are expected to gather on the federal road between 6 AM and 8 AM and then head to Dresden for a large assembly.
