Bavarian Farmer Drives Tractor at Concertgoers Squatting on His Meadow

In the German town of Bad Kissingen, Bavaria, a 52-year-old farmer took matters into his own hands after concertgoers set up camp on his private meadow next to the venue where pop singer Vincent Weiss was performing. The incident occurred on a Saturday evening in late August, when the show drew such a large crowd that some fans ended up spilling beyond the official festival grounds and onto the neighbouring field.

The landowner called the police for help, but officers declined to intervene. According to broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk, police explained that it was already dark outside and moving such a large crowd could pose a traffic hazard in the area. What's more, the concert was already winding down.

Tractor vs. the crowd

That explanation didn't sit well with the farmer, who decided to take action himself. He climbed into his tractor and began driving across the meadow, deliberately steering dangerously close to the spectators who had settled on his land with their camping chairs.

At least two people who failed to jump out of the way in time suffered minor injuries. Only then did police finally step in, stopping the farmer and, after consulting with prosecutors, confiscating his driver's licence.

According to the Kronen Zeitung newspaper, investigators have charged the farmer with endangering public safety, causing bodily harm and unlawful coercion. "The farmer took the law into his own hands in a completely unacceptable manner: first he drove his tractor around the meadow, then headed straight for the crowd," confirmed Tobias Botzem, a spokesman for the regional police headquarters.

"His land, his rules"

The incident sparked a heated debate on social media, where, surprisingly, most commenters ended up siding with the headstrong farmer. "His land, his rules," one user wrote.

Another commenter called the whole episode a failure on the part of the police, while someone else jokingly suggested the farmer spread plenty of manure on the meadow three hours before the next concert.

Read also: Exchanging a driver's licence for a Czech one

Source: novinky.cz