German farmers took to the streets today to protest against government orders to slaughter herds of cattle whenever mad cow disease is detected, and to demand state compensation for the collapse in demand for beef.
Brushing off warnings from Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder against disruptive protests, about 500 farmers marched through the centre of Nabburg in Bavaria, jamming the town of 20,000 for two hours.
The government should brace itself for an escalation of pressure if it doesn't take our problems seriously, local farm leader Franz Kustner told farmers, some blowing bugles and whistles.
Schroeder, who replaced two ministers over the mad cow debacle this week, warned farmers they would be making a serious mistake if they followed through on threats of blockades.
Wilhelm Niemeyer, vice president of the Farmers' Federation, said motorways and state highways would soon be blocked by cows and bulls running wild unless the government acted quickly.
That would be against the law, Schroeder told ARDtelevision late on Friday. I will not tolerate that at all. With posters such as Schroeder destroys farmers , the demonstration was only the latest daily farmer rally. Schroeder has so far taken a hard line, insisting that consumer protection is more important than farm interests.
Pollsters and analysts point out there are more votes to be won in next year's election from consumers than farmers.
Schroeder's management is completely unacceptable, said Angela Merkel, leader of the opposition Christian Democrats. Until recently he loved being photographed with a curry sausage in his mouth. Now he's on the attack against the farm industry.
Germany, which long insisted its 15 million cattle were immune to the brain-wasting illness thought to cause new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) in humans, has been shocked by 13 confirmed cases in recent weeks.
The government said on Friday that it planned during the next six months to buy from farmers 400,000 cows which would be slaughtered and burned.
REUTERS