Police investigate after farmers' protests on the A72 near Zwickau

After farmer protests on and along the Autobahn 72 near Zwickau, the police are investigating a violation of the Assembly Act. On Thursday evening, four tractors blocked the highway between Stollberg-Nord and Zwickau-Ost, the police announced on Friday. They were driving side by side at a speed of 20 km/h in the direction of Hof and then presumably left the highway via a supply route. However, there were no major traffic jams, they said when asked.

Witnesses are now being sought who can provide information about the drivers or who were obstructed by the tractors. There were further unannounced gatherings at the Zwickau-Ost and Zwickau-West junctions. The farmers had temporarily blocked the slip roads to the A72 in Zwickau-Ost with their tractors.

Farmers had occupied several highway bridges in Saxony on Thursday evening. The Land schafft Verbindung association spoke of more than 20 actions with a total of 800 participants. The actions, which lasted around an hour, had been agreed and approved by the relevant authorities, a spokesperson explained. The highways were still passable. The Zwickau police department, on the other hand, spoke of four unregistered gatherings and a blockade of Autobahn 72.