Thousands of truckers protest oil prices in Berlin

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Thousands of truckers protest oil prices in Berlin

BERLIN, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Thousands of German truckers, angry at high oil prices, blocked Berlin with a 10-km (six mile) long protest convoy on Tuesday, but the government said it would not give in to their demands for lower energy taxes.

Police said about 6,500 trucks, tourist coaches and tractors -- more than double the number expected -- lined the city's main east-west axis ending at the landmark Brandenburg Gate and gathered elsewhere in the city. Another 350 truckers could not get into Berlin and took a shuttle bus to a central rally.

``We want to show our presence and show that with higher oil prices there will be fewer jobs,'' said trucker Dirk Teabus.

``Chancellor, we have had enough,'' read a sign on some trucks, referring to German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's refusal to cut fuel duties amid sharply higher world oil prices.

His only concession has been to offer commuters extra income tax breaks, but he has done nothing for the transport industry. Germany's small truck and coach operators say fierce competition across Europe means they cannot recoup their costs.

``When we disappear from the highways and foreign truckers take our jobs then we won't be paying German taxes any more,'' said trucker Joachim Stamm.

The demonstration was remarkably well-disciplined for an event aimed at bringing chaos to the capital and the police praised protesters for their restraint.

CARS STAY AT HOME

Many Berliners who did not heed calls for an ecological ``car-free'' day last week left their vehicles at home on Tuesday, using trains and the city's many bicycle lanes. The public transport authority offered cheap all-day fares. Many streets around the centre were nearly empty, offering far quicker than usual trips for motorists who dared to drive.

Truckers continued to arrive in the city in separate columns escorted by police to assure an orderly procession from gathering points in the surrounding countryside. Because of the tight police control and organisation, patient motorists could still sometimes edge past the convoys.

Police estimated about 2,500 people attended a lunchtime rally at the Brandenburg Gate, next to the Reichstag parliament building, that included a concert and speeches.

Over the past week trucks and tractors have held up traffic in Stuttgart, Hanover, Leipzig, Dresden and Munich.

Protesters also called for a national slowdown on motorways across the country for Tuesday afternoon. But Germany has seen few of the mass blockades which brought turmoil to Britain, France and Belgium earlier this month and the government has said it will not follow other European countries such as France and Italy in lowering fuel taxes.

One factor has been strict German laws that leave unauthorised protesters exposed to heavy claims for compensation if they disrupt others' business.

Transport Minister Reinhard Klimmt on Tuesday morning repeated the government's refusal to lower petrol taxes. Opposition conservatives want the government to follow the example set last week by the United States and sell part of Germany's strategic oil reserves in a bid to lower current oil prices -- a move Berlin is resisting.

http://www.mercurycenter.com/breaking/docs/018599.htm

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), September 26, 2000

Answers

More than double the number of expected truckers expected showed up in Berlin. I think that has something significant to say.

-- Uncle Fred (dogboy45@bigfoot.com), September 26, 2000.

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