Fuel protests in the UK - good thing or not

[Janespade]

there are successful fuel protests in Ireland and other countries are also having fuel protests in Europe.
They will come to the UK soon - 2001 style so you won’t be able to buy any fuel.
Are these protests the best way of tacking the vast amount of tax paid on fuel?
Or do you see them as blockades as the Irish authorities have called them.
Is it ok for ordinary people to lose jobs as they can’t get to work? What about people going for cancer treatment who have to drive in daily?
In 2001 school buses stopped running in some places so we could see schools shut, teachers stuck at home and health care staff without fuel to get to work. It’s not as if the majority can rely on public transport.
Maybe exams won’t run this year and we’ll all have to WFH and that could be a positive unless you have a trade?
is the disruption to a few lives worth it as everyone will benefit it fuel tax comes down?

When you say successful protests in Ireland…..have they achieved their objective of getting fuel duty lowered?

I wouldn’t want to see people miss hospital appointments or lose their jobs but I do think something needs to be done to get the govt to lower fuel duty as currently they are really cashing in with the price increases. Making extra money out of normal people’s misery.

God I hope not! I live in Bristol and work in Solihull so if there’s fuel protests I won’t be able to go home to DH!!

Successful in Ireland? You're having a laugh. They've not achieved any of their aims. And they seem to be led by absolute knuckle draggers.

You’re right - successful in so far as they have brought large areas to a standstill and reports of up to 2/3 petrol stations dry such that they have been invited to talks. A lot of the protestors seem to want to cause as much disruption as possible - online they have mass support. So surely successful in so much as they wanted to cause mass disruption to bring the issue to the front of everyone’s minds.

Ive seen a reasonable amount of calls for protests in England this week, so expecting it will follow suit after 2001 when protestors successfully stopped a lot of fuel movement in the UK.

If fuel taxes are reduced, what public services that they fund will people be happy to see de-funded?

People act like taxes are the problem here. They aren’t. The problem is (a) the rich dudes who profit from high fuel prices (not taxes) and (b) the US and Israeli government warmongering with no plan other than aggression for aggressions sake that has caused a fuel shortage right now.

I am a cancer patient who has to travel an hour each way for hospital care regularly. I have limited other travel to keep fuel use down. We’ve turned our heating off for the year so we don’t need to refill the tank for a few months. I’m cutting costs in other ways. I’d like the war to end and fuel supplies to be restored. I don’t need public services cut.

Great, they've brought Ireland to a standstill. Whoop, great success.

The leaders are far right morons who should be shunned and mocked

https://www.thejournal.ie/ireland-fuel-protests-far-right-influence-hijack-7009832-Apr2026/

Blaming immigrants

https://x.com/TristanMCarroll/status/2043007178265510251

Who do you think would be organising them here?

I'm not hearing much about success in Ireland, most reasonable people are against the protests.

This. The government is really the wrong target so I don’t see what good it will do.

I remember having a few days off school as the coach company couldn't get fuel, at the time I thought it was great. Do you really think we will have similar protests in England?

Online plans underway for England already - farmers, hauliers, etc. as far as they’re concerned the Eire model has worked so why not do the same here.
@randomchap Id noticed the far right narrative two and threats to track down the tanker drivers. But there seems to be a lot of people repeating the same narrative that the real issue is immigration.
Theres a string. right wing movement in UK. I could see a lot of Farage fans getting involved.

there are successful fuel protests in Ireland

Are there? What have they actually achieved?

Would you regard the "Just Stop Oil" protests as "successful" too?

Definitely a group online saying it’s going to happen. I have no idea. But can you imagine it happening during exam season?
the leaders of the protests in Eire say they want to stay for as many months as it takes… of course they’d say that.

Successful in so far as they caused the mass disruption intended and bringing one issue to the forefront.
it depends how you define success? Everyone has a different concept and it’s linked to aims and objectives.

I believe in the right to protest but not blockade or cause harm.so where do you draw the line? If you’re stopping people from urgent cancer treatment , is that ok? I’d say not but a lot of the protestors online would say small price to pay - I honestly read multiple comments along those lines…

So they're just like JSO then? In that they haven't actually achieved anything.

Last time it was a load of militant farmers and hauliers who organised it. I remember I was pregnant and had to walk 30 mins each way for antenatal appointments. There will be a run on loo roll again if supplies can’t get to the shops!

They would all be howling if it was Just Stop Oil blockading the roads ….

Indeed they would. Hypocrites.

You dont think the online comments are also orchestrated?

The government isn't "cashing in" or "making money", what do you think taxes are for? It doesn't go in anyone's pockets (like company profits do), it's more money for our services.

Jesus - this type of crap-tivism boils my piss - the idiots cutting down cameras etc.

put down the right wing media… it’s the same grunts that bang on about only spending cash, 15 minute cities etc. conspiracy theory right wing lunatics.

It was 2000, not 2001.

The blockades in Ireland haven’t achieved anything.

You should take your tinfoil hat off, and do some research before you post this drivel!

And if people cut back on the amount that they use their cars because of the cost or difficulties getting fuel, the drop in sales could more than offset the additional tax revenue generated by the increase in prices.

All I’ve seen is people blocking the roads, in one case stopping a man driving his wife who was in labour to the hospital.

No, of course it wouldn’t be a fucking good thing. The Irish protests have been orchestrated/infiltrated by the far right, and no doubt the same thing would happen here with Farage and Tommy Robinson jumping on the bandwagon. Huge anxiety, disruption and inconvenience would be caused to the public with zero benefit. Fuel costs are higher because of a supply issue, which reducing fuel duty would do absolutely nothing to resolve. The protesters should blockade the US embassy if they want to target the people actually responsible.

Of course they are blockades. And absolutely will just cause chaos without achieving anything, just like the idiots in just stop oil protests