>X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >X-Apparently-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >GERMAN TRUCKERS BLOCKADE BERLIN, DEMANDING FUEL >TAX CUTS, AND LOWER DIESEL PRICES > >from EXCITE.COM NEWS: > > Truckers Block Berlin Streets >********************************** >Updated 12:00 PM ET September 26, 2000 > > By STEPHEN GRAHAM, Associated Press Writer > BERLIN (AP) - Thousands of truckers from across >Germany clogged the streets around the capital's >center Tuesday demanding relief from higher gas >prices. And they got some when the government >offered low-interest loans to some trucking companies. > >The protest is the biggest so far in Germany and comes >on the heels of demonstrations that halted traffic in France, >Britain and other nations before easing in recent days. > >Minor blockages continued Tuesday in Spain, where markets >ran out of fish and Greek motorists fearing shortages due to >trucker strikes lined up for gas. > >At least 2,000 trucks blocked the tree-lined avenue that runs >through Berlin's central Tiergarten park to the Brandenburg >Gate, where thousands of people called on Chancellor Gerhard >Schroeder's government to relax an "ecology tax" that, along >with higher oil prices, has led to more expensive gas. > > "The ecology tax creates jobs - abroad!!!" read one protest >banner. > >The German government showed no sign of caving in on >taxes, but did offer one concession when Transport Minister >Reinhard Klimmt announced loans to mid-sized trucking >companies running into cash shortages because of spiraling >fuel costs. The step follows breaks for commuters offered last >week. > > But the truckers' association and the demonstrators rejected >the new loan offer. > > "When you've got a sound business you don't need cheap >credit," said Peter Kofahl, 43, who runs his own transport >firm with eight buses and four truck in Rostock. > > After the rally at the Brandenburg Gate, about 2,000 protesters >headed to the nearby Reichstag. They shouted "We are the >people!" at parliament members inside. > >The vice president of parliament, Anke Fuchs, told the truckers >by megaphone that lawmakers understood their concerns. >She invited several truckers inside to talk. > >Truckers left lanes open to allow public transport through, and >policeblocked off access streets to prevent a major snarl. The >driverscooperated with police by assembling at collection points >to be escorted into the city. > >"We don't want any trouble, but we have to do something as our >jobs depend on it," said Harald Grueninger, a 41-year-old trucker >from the western >city of Fulda. > > Karl-Heinz Schmidt, head of a national association of truck >drivers, toldARD television that the protest was the "last chance" >for the truckers toseek relief. He said 100,000 jobs were >endangered by the high gas prices. > >Despite efforts to reroute commuters, there were reports of traffic >jams up to 12 miles long in the outskirts. Some of those >inconvenienced by the demonstration showed little sympathy. > > "Do we really need so many trucks? There are ships and trains >that could do this," said Michael Helmchen, 64, a management >consultant who left his car at home and was walking to work. >"Everyone can lose their jobs at a moment's notice in today's >world." > > >In the southern city of Nuremberg, about 140 protesting farmers >on tractors drove through the city but traffic wasn't affected. > >AP International News > >Copyright © 2000 At Home Corporation., AP All rights reserved > GANGBOX: CONSTRUCTION WORKERS NEWS SERVICE >************************************************************************** > GANGBOX homepage: > http://www.GeoCities.com/gangbox/ > comments? email: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > "UNION NOW, UNION FOREVER" >**************************************** >To Post a message, send it to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To subscribe, send a blank message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] >*********************************************** > > >-------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> >eGroups eLerts >It's Easy. It's Fun. Best of All, it's Free! >http://click.egroups.com/1/9067/3/_/22961/_/970017473/ >---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> > >Knowledge is Power! >Elimination of the exploitation of man by man >http://www.egroups.com/group/pttp/ >POWER TO THE PEOPLE! > >Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Change Delivery Options: >http://www.egroups.com/mygroups > > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
