Farmers continue protests in Saxony

Farmers in Saxony are continuing their protests on Wednesday with rallies in Dresden and Plauen. The farmers and their supporters from Chemnitz, the district of Central Saxony and the Erzgebirgskreis (Ore Mountains) wanted to drive to the Saxon state capital in a parade in the morning, according to the police in Chemnitz. Considerable traffic obstructions are therefore to be expected on the B173 federal highway and in the villages and towns along the route until midday. More than 200 vehicles are expected. However, further gatherings and actions by farmers could lead to road traffic restrictions, especially in the Erzgebirgskreis district, it said.

In south-west Saxony, the Hartenstein exit of the A72 from Chemnitz to Hof and the Hohenstein-Ernstthal exit of the A4 (Dresden-Erfurt) towards Erfurt were blocked in the morning. Farmers from the Vogtland region plan to gather in Plauen.

A convoy to Dresden is also planned from Löbau in eastern Saxony, according to the police. The police are expecting around 300 vehicles. In addition, the Görlitz, Kodersdorf and, at times, Weißenberg access roads to the A4 highway from Görlitz to Dresden will be blocked. There were also obstructions at the Hagenwerder border crossing with Poland.

In Dresden itself, there were initially no obstructions in the morning. However, once the convoys had arrived, drivers were advised to avoid the city center.

The Chemnitz police department has once again set up a citizens' hotline.

The farmers' association had called for a week of action. On Monday, thousands of farmers, bus and truck drivers demonstrated in many regions of Germany. They blocked highway ramps and marched into the cities with tractor convoys.

The farmers' protests are directed against planned subsidy cuts by the federal government. The plan is to gradually abolish tax breaks on agricultural diesel. The fact that the coalition government has withdrawn some of its plans for cuts is not enough for the Federal Farmers' Association.