German farmers block major highways with tractors in protest against plans to scrap diesel tax break

Commuters around Germany are facing severe disruption as a massive protest by farmers blocks roads across the country. 

In the coordinated action, farmers have driven their tractors onto highways, slip roads and smaller roads and stopped traffic from geting through.

Protesters in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin had signs attached to their tractors with signs like 'No farmer, no future'.

The action is the beginning of a week of protests against a government plan to scrap tax breaks on diesel used in agriculture.

In the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, farmers blocked motorway slip roads with hundreds of tractors. They were supported by haulage companies protesting against the increase in lorry tolls.

In the district of Cloppenburg in northwest Lower Saxony, a main road was blocked by 40 vehicles. In Saxony, according to police, some motorway slip roads in the Dresden area were unusable. There are also gatherings on the A4, A13, A14 and A17 motorways.

Production at a Volkswagen auto plant in Emden in northwestern Germany was stopped because access roads were blocked, preventing employees from getting to work, German news agency dpa reported.

There was a similar protest in December when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's unpopular three-party coalition infuriated farmers by drawing up plans to abolish a car tax exemption for farming vehicles and the diesel tax breaks. The proposals were part of a package to fill a €17 billion hole in the 2024 budget.

Last week the government climbed down partially, saying that the car tax exemption would be retained and the cuts in the diesel tax breaks would be staggered over three years.

But the German Farmers' Association said it was still insisting on the plans being