Polish Farmers Plan to Block A12 on Sunday

This Sunday, severe traffic disruptions are expected in the Brandenburg-Polish border area near Frankfurt (Oder), largely due to farmers’ protests. The root of these disruptions lies in the plans of farmers in Poland, who aim to block Highway 12 in the vicinity of the border from 1 p.m onwards. The local police in Frankfurt (Oder) are urging freight traffic, in particular, to steer clear of the A12 highway if it can be avoided. They suggest that anyone intending to traverse the border should explore alternative routes. A multilingual information system will be deployed across a large area to ensure drivers are adequately informed about the blockade at the border crossing.

Adding to the disruption, the police have also reported that a protest meeting has been registered at the Stadtbrücke border crossing in Frankfurt (Oder). This protest is likely to exacerbate the existing traffic disruptions. The police have advised that entry and exit in the border region between Sunday evening and Monday lunchtime could face significant challenges or may not be possible at all.

The farmers’ protests, which have been ongoing for several weeks now in Poland, are primarily directed against the European Union’s agricultural policy. The farmers are also protesting against the import of cheap agricultural products from Ukraine. Meanwhile, in Germany, the farmers’ protests are primarily a reaction to the proposed subsidy cuts for agricultural diesel.