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MUNI

Snow and ice cause traffic mayhem

Snow and black ice caused numerous accidents across Germany overnight and early Monday morning, but sunshine is expected to break through the clouds by afternoon.

Snow and ice cause traffic mayhem
Photo: DPA

Several motorways were closed during the night due to accidents, but most were without bodily harm. Meanwhile trains and flights were delayed due to the up to 15 centimetres of snow that began falling on Sunday.

Snow ploughs were out early on Monday in the states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia where the heaviest snowfall was reported. Some 31 accidents were reported on the A9 motorway stretch in Saxony-Anhalt, and the states of Lower Saxony and Hesse reported dangerously icy streets.

The Düsseldorf airport was forced to close completely when heavy snowfall overwhelmed clean up crews, spokesperson Christian Witt told news agency DPA. Incoming planes were rerouted to other airports and some 48 flights were affected in the early morning hours.

Brandenburg, the state surrounding Berlin, reported 34 auto accidents between midnight and 6 am on Monday, which caused officials to close the A24 motorway between Hamburg and Berlin for several hours.

Near Hannover the A2 motorway suffered a traffic jam longer than 30 kilometres, meanwhile a semi-truck rollover closed the A43 near Münster for several hours. Officials provided hot beverages and blankets to drivers caught in the mess.

But despite reports of more than 4,000 chickens scattered across the A44 in North Rhine-Westphalia after a transport truck rollover, the sky is not expected to fall.

The northern half of the country can expect sunshine to illuminate the snowy landscape early in the day. Snowfall in central Germany will begin to clear up by evening, weather service Meteomedia reported on Monday.

Temperatures across the country will remain chilly despite the sunshine, ranging from -7 degrees Celsius near Frankfurt an der Oder to just above freezing in the Rhineland.

Skiers in the Alpen regions will enjoy a bit of sunshine too, but flurries won’t end until Tuesday morning, Meteomedia reported.

BERLIN

Disruption on roads in Berlin as farmers stage fresh protest

Farmers in Germany launched fresh protests in Berlin on Friday to call for the government to support agriculture, resulting in disruption across the city.

Disruption on roads in Berlin as farmers stage fresh protest

Berlin police said there were “considerable traffic disruptions” across the city and the outskirts and especially around Straße des 17. Juni, the government district and the Bundesrat .

Since Thursday morning, Straße des 17. Juni and other streets around the government district in Berlin-Tiergarten have been closed. There will also be closures on Leipziger Straße between Wilhelmstraße and Leipziger Platz through Friday.

A planned rally is due to take place from 12 noon to 5pm on Friday with tractors and lorries around Platz des 18. März, near Brandenburg Gate. 

The action is being held to protest the government’s agricultural policies.

It comes as relief measures – including reduced bureaucracy and tax relief for farmers – went to the Bundesrat on Friday to be voted on as part of the Growth Opportunities Act.

However, farmers are still pushing for their original demand of fully keeping the agricultural diesel subsidy.

READ ALSO: Analysis: Why are German farmers so angry?

Farmers in Germany have been staging similar protests against the policies of the government since the start of the year.

Where are protests taking place?

Here’s a look at the routes farmers are expected to take in Friday into Berlin where disruption will occur:

Frohnau: From the state border via B96 Berliner Straße, Roedernallee, Lindauer Allee, Residenzstraße, Markstraße, Schulstraße, Luxemburger Straße, Föhrer Straße, An der Putlitzbrücke, Stromstraße, Lessingstraße, Altonaer Straße and Großer Stern to Straße des 17. Juni

Lichtenrade: From the state border via the B96 Kirchhainer Damm to Tempelhofer Damm and then via Mehringdamm, Hallesches Ufer, Reichpietschufer, Klingelhöferstraße, Hofjägerallee and Großer Stern to Straße des 17. Juni

Mahlsdorf: From the state border via the B1/5 to Alexanderstraße and then via Karl-Liebknecht-Straße, Unter den Linden, Wilhelmstraße, Dorotheenstraße, Scheidemannstraße, John-Foster-Dulles-Allee, Spreeweg and Großer Stern to Straße des 17. Juni

Staaken: From the state border via B5 Heerstraße to Theodor-Heuss-Platz, Kaiserdamm, Ernst-Reuter-Platz, Straße des 17. Juni and Großer Stern to Straße des 17. Juni.

As we’ve already. mentioned, there will also be road closures on Leipziger Straße between Wilhelmstraße and Leipziger Platz.

Farmers at the Straße des 17. Juni early morning on Friday in Berlin in a demo for better agricultural policy.

Farmers at the Straße des 17. Juni early morning on Friday in Berlin in a demo for better agricultural policy. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Jörg Carstensen

A large police presence was in place around the federal ministries and parliamentary buildings.

“We are taking preparatory measures before the farmers’ rally so that parliamentary work can take place smoothly on Friday,” said a spokesperson for the Berlin police on Thursday. 

During previous demonstrations, tactics – such as throwing manure and blockade attempts – have been controversial. 

On one occasion in January more than a hundred farmers blocked a ferry port as Economics Minister Robert Habeck tried to return from a holiday with his wife on the North Friesian island of Hooge.

According to media reports, some of the protestors tried to storm the ferry that the Habeck and his wife were on, preventing the Green Party politician from disembarking and forcing police to intervene. 

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