Yellow Vest Movement Spreads to Germany as 100s Protest New EU Regulations
The protesters wore high visibility vests in solidarity with French protestors
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Hundreds of German Yellow Vests protested in Stuttgart, the bastion of Germany’s car industry, against the governments ban on older diesel cars.
The protesters wore high visibility vests in solidarity to the movement which started in France over fuel hikes.
The new German law only allows diesel vehicles are meeting the Euro 5 emissions standard to enter Stuttgart, home of Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler and the world’s largest car parts supplier Bosch.
Many protesters gel picket signs saying “Pro-diesel” and “Diesel drivers mobilize” as the assembled outside car emissions center.
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“What’s happening to people is unjust,” joint organizer Vasilos Topalis told AFP.
“Tens of thousands of people are affected and can’t afford to buy a new car” following the court-ordered ban, he added.
Similar bans in other German cities where emissions exceed European Union limits were pushed through the courts by environmental organizations last year.
Limitations on some diesel vehicle access were ordered by judges for Berlin, Mainz, Hamburg, and Bonn.
The Stuttgart organizers have urged people to take to the streets in Yellow Vests, the same as France.
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“Yellow vests give us visibility, also in the media,” Topalis said.
“The French are an example to us because they dared take to the streets to protect their rights.”
According to Breitbart: Topalis was careful to delineate the movement from any existing political force after far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) attempted to capitalize on last week’s demonstration that drew 1,200 people.
Increasing numbers have joined the movement over four weeks, as Germany’s coalition government remains divided on how to balance the interests of drivers, city dwellers, and the environment.
Last week we reported a French Yellow Vest leader was "handicapped for life" after he was hit with a rubber police bullet in his eye, according to his attorney.
Jerome Rodrigues was wounded after clashes with police in Paris during the 11th straight weekend of protests.
Rodrigues' lawyer fears the activist will be "handicapped for life" following his injuries.
The 40-year-old construction worker and Yellow Vest activist were placed in an artificial coma overnight following an incident at the Bastille monument in central Paris.
