Burning tires, flying eggs
Farmers block Ricarda Lang in Magdeburg
February 25, 2024, 3:47 a.m
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The farmers targeted the Greens in their protests. When party leader Lang wants to travel to Magdeburg for an internal party event, they block the road with tractors, resulting in tumultuous scenes. Lang still seeks to talk to the farmers.
Dozens of farmers gathered to protest at an internal party event with Green Party federal leader Ricarda Lang in Magdeburg, once again causing tumultuous scenes. According to police, around 90 tractors and other vehicles had blocked the main road in the Buckau district by the time the event began in the late afternoon. It had to be closed to traffic. According to information from the “Bild” newspaper, farmers came from Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg and Lower Saxony. By the time Lang arrived late in the afternoon, a hundred police had brought the situation under control and cordoned off a large area.
According to the police, around 200 participants were on site. They parked their machines around the venue and lit fires. After Lang’s arrival there were shouts of “Boo!” and a concert of honking, and some also said “We’ve had enough!” called. Lang, whose vehicle had to be escorted onto the site by the police, returned to the protesters on foot to speak to a delegation of farmers. As the “Bild” newspaper reports, the organizer of the protest gave her a piece of paper with demands.
When the Green Party leader wanted to leave again in the evening, some farmers blocked the exit, a police spokeswoman said in the evening. The police had to intervene. According to “Bild”, farmers set fire to tires and barrels and threw eggs. According to police, Lang was in no danger and no arrests were made. When asked by “Bild” about the boos, Lang said: “It can and should be uncomfortable for politicians at times. I think that you have to endure it when people boo.”
There have recently been several violent protests against the Greens. In mid-February, Economics Minister Robert Habeck was welcomed in Nuremberg with a loud whistle concert and chants of “Get out!” Lang was whistled at, insulted and prevented from leaving an event in Schorndorf near Stuttgart.