Ireland Sees Fourth Day of Protests and Blockades By Farmers
Protesters upset over high fuel prices have entered a fourth day of demonstrations, blocking access to fuel depots and parts of Dublin and other cities, raising concerns over fuel shortages, commute times, and access to emergency services.
The cost of gasoline and diesel have risen dramatically due to the restricted flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz Strait. The protesters complained that “a 250 million euro package to temporarily cut taxes on petrol and diesel did not go far enough to cushion the knock-on cost of the Middle East conflict,” Reuters reported.
The protests started on Tuesday, 7 April, when slow-moving convoys of various vehicles—including commercial trucks, tractors, and other automobiles—restricted access to fuel refineries and distribution hubs, as well as some of the busiest streets in Dublin. “Some protesters slept in their vehicles overnight, demanding that the government speak with them,” the Associated Press reported.
With the price of fuel climbing, some protesters are afraid that their businesses won’t survive. “With the price we’re paying for fuel, I’m probably two months away from my business folding,” agricultural contractor and demonstrator Christopher Duffy told Reuters. The group Duffy was with hopes the government will meet and agree to cap the price of diesel at a lower rate.
Those involved in the protest include farmers, agricultural contractors, and road hauling operators. The usual industry groups, including the Irish Farmers’ Association and the Irish Road Haulage Association, are notably absent from the protests. The government has refused to meet with the protesters because they did not belong to representative groups that government officials usually negotiate with.
Demonstrators said they would clear the streets if the government would meet with them. The Irish government is expected to meet with industry bodies on Friday, 10 April, CNBC reported. Protesters were not invited to the meeting.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin described the demonstrations as an “act of national sabotage,” according to news reports. (The taoiseach is the Irish prime minister.)
The blockades around an oil refinery in Cork and two fuel depots in Galway and Foynes have prevented access to roughly 50 percent of the nation’s fuel, Kevin McPartlan, chief executive for Fuels for Ireland, told The Irish Examiner. The blocked oil refinery, Irving Oil Whitegate, has the ability to process 75,000 barrels of oil per day, roughly equivalent to 40 percent of the country’s fuel needs.
With little-to-no access to fuel depots, more than 100 service stations have run out of fuel. According to national broadcaster RTE, if fuel supplies remain disrupted into Friday evening, the number of gas stations without fuel could climb to 500.
On 9 April, the government asked the army to be ready to remove obstructive vehicles, citing concerns that the blockades would hinder emergency services. Ireland’s police force, An Garda Síochána, said that the protests have also endangered critical supplies of food, clean water, and animal feed, according to The Guardian.
