Tractors crowd central Berlin in climax to German farmer protests

Thousands of tractors and other heavy equipment lined the streets near Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on Monday as farmers crowded into the German capital to protest against government plans to end tax breaks on diesel fuel.

Honking tractors could be heard in many areas of Berlin as farmers blocked traffic in areas during the morning commute.

Leading politicians from Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition government met with agricultural industry groups to discuss economic pressures facing German farmers.

The massive mid-day demonstration at the Brandenburg Gate, located close to the seat of Germany's parliament, is the culmination of weeks of protests by farmers, lorry drivers and others over reductions in diesel subsidies for the agricultural sector.

Leaders from the coalition parties on Monday vowed action to ease financial and bureaucratic burdens on farmers, including offering a roadmap for structural reforms by the summer.

Joachim Rukwied, the president of the German Farmers' Union, gave politicians until Thursday evening to come up with an acceptable solution to the diesel subsidy issue.

Getting rid of the subsidies would leave German farmers paying the highest fuel prices in the European Union, alongside Dutch farmers, Rukwied said, call it "a massive competitive disadvantage."

Farmers shouted drowned out Finance Minister Christian Lindner with jeers and tractor horns as he sought to address the rally. He was only able to begin his speech after Rukwied appealled to the crowd.

Heckling, including shouts of "Go away!," still drowned out parts of Lindner's speech.

Police in Berlin expected at least 5,000 tractors to join the demonstrations on Monday and deployed about 1,300 police officers to accompany the farmers. On Sunday evening, police began stopping tractors from entering Berlin's government district due to overcrowding.

Conservative opposition leaders have backed the protests and denounced Scholz's government. Far-right activists have also sought to join the demonstrations.

Scholz's coalition government has already softened its plans, including by slowly phasing out the diesel subsidy over a three-year period and keeping a motor vehicle tax exemption for the agricultural sector.

Farmers, however, have demanded further concessions.

The diesel subsidy cuts are part of efforts by Scholz's coalition to address major budget shortfalls.

Rukwied said on Monday that the diesel subsidy, which has existed for more than 70 years, must be left in place.

He also denounced efforts by far-right politicians to take advantage of the demonstrations. He said Germany's farmers are upstanding democrats who firmly back the country's constitutional order.