One of the lead fuel price protesters has said groups will continue targeting “major infrastructure” after an “insulting” €505 million package of measures was announced by the Government.
James Geoghegan, a Co Westmeath farmer, said O’Connell Street in Dublin may not be on the agenda again as blockading there “doesn’t really do much major harm”.
He said protesters will likely pick areas that have a bigger impact, such as “major infrastructure” because “this Government is not listening”.
A 2.4 cent reduction to a litre of green diesel was “nothing”, while 10 cent off a litre of petrol and regular diesel was “not enough”, he said.
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Having discussed the situation with some other protesters, Geoghegan said they plan to lobby backbench Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs to warn them their seats are in jeopardy at the next election. They want Micheál Martin removed as Taoiseach and will be supporting the Opposition’s no-confidence motion, he said.
The protesters do not fall under a single organised umbrella and instead are made up of disparate local groups largely driven by the same cause.
Co Kildare-based Sonny Boyd, who operates a recovery and breakdown assistance business, said he was “not overly pleased” with the measures but wished at this stage that “everybody would stand down”.
“It has spiralled out of control now,” he said, adding that he had concerns about how gardaí treated protesters.
“I have tried to say in some of the WhatsApp groups to let the TDs go in and talk for us and try to do it the proper way, but lads are just so fed up. They are on their knees.”
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The latest package of supports was “way off” the mark, he said, given the protesters wanted diesel capped at €1.75 a litre while the reduction announced would leave it at about €2 a litre.
The cut on green diesel was “not a lot at all”, he said, adding that people in protest messaging groups were “not happy”.
John Dallon, another high-profile figure in the movement, said he did not think the Government’s measures would keep people off the streets. The Co Kildare farmer, who was among a small group of protesters refused entry to a meeting with Ministers last Friday, said taking 2.4 cents a litre off green diesel was “an insult”.
“They were telling us they were going to come out with a ‘substantial’ package. That is not a substantial package,” he said.
“The public won’t accept that, I think. It will only set more fuel on the fire”.
He said he was undecided on whether he would participate in further protests, but would support continued peaceful protests.
Dallon was on O’Connell Street in Dublin in the early hours of Sunday when the Garda public order unit was drafted in. He said he was “in shock” at the force’s approach, which he claimed was “pure militant style”.
An Garda Síochána said its public order units were deployed to O’Connell Street overnight and removed many vehicles under escort. “Blockaders” were warned to comply with Garda directions, it said.
By midmorning, several remaining tractors had been shepherded to the bottom of O’Connell Street, which was closed to traffic for the day.
An articulated lorry, escorted by a Garda car, drove to the bridge while honking its horn, drawing cheers from a crowd of supporters.
By the afternoon, all the farm vehicles and trucks had been escorted away.
