As outrage mounts following the violent farmers’ protest in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, more details are emerging about the dramatic blockade of a ferry landing in which Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck was sitting alongside dozens of other passengers. According to the operating company, the ship was only just prevented from being stormed.
Due to the crowd of demonstrators – there were said to be about 300 people in the area – and the heated atmosphere, the guards of the Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economy together with the captain decided to move away from the coast and return to the port. island of Hallig Hooge. “If this decision had been made a minute later, the ferry would have been stormed – with unimaginable consequences,” the shipping company’s director Axel Meynköhn told the German news agency.
Pepper spray against demonstrators
Footage on social media showed police pushing protesters back from a ramp to the ferry (see video above). According to the emergency services, pepper spray had to be used. Meynköhn stated: “In my opinion this is coercion. This is a terrible event.” Medical emergencies could also have occurred on board.
The background to the protest is the dispute over the government’s plans to cut agricultural diesel subsidies, which have only been partially changed. Chairman of the farmers’ association Joachim Rukwied announced protests for next week despite the corrections. “We demand the complete reversal of these tax increases, without any ifs or buts. “I expect tens of thousands of tractors to come to our rallies throughout Germany,” he told “Bild”. Rukwied said that this would cause traffic disruption.
Huge criticism of action
Meanwhile, there is great excitement in German domestic politics. Several members of the German government and representatives of the CDU/CSU were shocked. “With all understanding for a vibrant protest culture, no one should have to worry about such a brutalization of political morals,” government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit wrote on Friday morning. “Violence and coercion are despicable and also harm the cause,” criticized German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens). There was also criticism from Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP), Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (both Greens).
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
