Fuel protestors told to cease blockades 'or face full rigours of the law'
An Garda Síochána is advising fuel protestors to immediately cease blockades of critical infrastructure or "face the full rigours of the law".
Protests across the country over high fuel prices have this morning (Thursday, April 9) entered a third day.
The protests, which began on Tuesday, have seen slow-moving convoys of tractors, trucks, buses and other vehicles on motorways.
Protesters are also staging blockades at ports in counties Cork, Limerick and Galway, along with a key fuel refinery at Whitegate, Co. Cork.
Fuel protests
Speaking today, deputy commissioner, policing operations at An Garda Síochána, Shawna Coxon said:
"Over the last two days, An Garda Síochána has engaged extensively with those taking part in fuel protests across the country to facilitate peaceful protest while protecting public safety.
"In line with our tradition of policing by consent, An Garda Síochána has been operating on the basis of the 4Es – engage, explain, encourage and enforce.
"Yesterday, we advised protestors that they were severely impacting on the lives of people, particularly emergency workers, those who need to attend hospital, and workers.
"Despite our significant and prolonged engagement, which has included explaining and encouraging protestors to facilitate free movement of traffic, it is clear that some people have significantly escalated an already difficult situation by targeting critical infrastructure such as fuel depots and refineries."
Against the law
Coxon said that these are "no longer protests, they are blockades". "These blockades are putting at risk supplies of food, fuel, clean water and animal feed. These are critical for the nation and its people," she said.
Gardaí have warned that this is not acceptable and is against the law.
"The wilful obstruction of public roads and the movement of vehicles and persons are offences under various statutes including the Public Order Act and Road Traffic Acts," Coxon added. "As part of our well-established graduated policing response in dealing with protests, An Garda Síochána is now moving to an enforcement phase in relation to those impacting on critical infrastructure unless they desist and disperse from these blockades."
