Police have cleared a blockade of central Dublin by farmers and hauliers who were protesting about fuel prices, signalling a possible end to six days of protests that have rocked Ireland.
Mounted units and hundreds of officers regained control of O’Connell Street in a peaceful operation that emptied the thoroughfare of trucks and tractors on Sunday morning.
Other police units sealed off a section of Galway in an attempt to end a blockade of a fuel depot, the latest in a series of coordinated actions that began on Saturday when gardaí removed protesters from outside the Whitegate oil refinery in County Cork, prompting scuffles and the use of pepper spray.
Protesters outside a fuel terminal in Foynes, County Limerick said they would lift the blockade at 1pm on Sunday.
In a bid to ease the discontent, the government on Sunday night announced €500m worth of spending increases and tax cuts to soften the impact on consumers and businesses following an emergency cabinet meeting. The measures include a 10 cent reduction a litre on diesel and petrol, postponement of a planned carbon tax increase and a fuel subsidy for farming and fisheries.
The package followed €250m worth of measures announced almost three weeks ago, which protesters had deemed insufficient.
It was unclear whether the police actions and financial alleviation, a carrot-and-stick strategy, would fully quell protests that have shown effective coordination despite having no central leadership or organisation.
The protesting farmers, hauliers and other groups caused traffic chaos and severely disrupted fuel distribution in response to a 20% jump in fuel prices since last month, a knock-on effect from the conflict in the Middle East that has put pressure on governments around the world to cap fuel prices.
Despite hundreds of forecourts running dry, 56% of voters supported the protesters, according to a poll in the Sunday Independent, a solidarity that some analysts attributed to the wider cost of living crisis.
Roads and motorways that had been blocked flowed freely, and protesters who had spent successive nights sleeping in their vehicles appeared relieved to go home, but others expressed resentment at police actions and said protests would continue until demands were met.
“Nobody in the city of Dublin or the country could say our assembly was anything but peaceful,” said Christopher Duffy, a spokesperson. The police threat to tow tractors and trucks compelled their withdrawal because the vehicles would be damaged if dragged without the engine on, he said.
“We have no choice. Financially, we have to move the vehicles,” he said, and urged independent and rural lawmakers to withdraw support for the centre-right coalition government of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. Asked if the overall protests were over, he replied: “I don’t think so.”
James Geoghegan, another spokesperson, said protesters would not back down until demands were met. “This protest does not end until the cost of living is dropped to a level that we can stay in business,” he told RTÉ. “Lads can go home and regroup. A lot of lads want to go home and take maybe a day’s rest and come back out because until the issues are solved, the protest doesn’t end.”
The cabinet meeting later on Sunday was expected to approve measures to help agriculture, transport, fishing and other sectors most affected by fuel prices. The government said it would publicise the measures, which have been described as targeted and temporary, only after protests ended.
