The protests over fuel costs

[Papercompany]

I support them ..they seem like decent, hard working people who are at the end of their tether. Threatening them (as the Guards Representative did earlier) is not the way forward.

It’s very difficult to figure out from the media & social media how much public support the protestors have.

It seems quite a lot from what I can work out from comments on media posts.

Not a lot where i live. Some. The usual ones out protesting the water charges but collect their dole every week. The one who barricarded the revenue agent off his farm when he came to collect due to non payment. The one who thinks anyone not the right colour should be sent home. The one whos known to the gardai. The one with 6 warrants out.
Its a disgrace and people are not happy.
Dont believe eveyrhing you see on tiktok.

We have people locally collecting money to supply chipper food and pizza! (Not salads and fruit baskets). If takeaways can't get stock in what will happen?

I think whatever support the protesters had at the start will massively drop the more it begins to affect people’s day to day life.

I thought originally it was going to be a one day thing and I thought that is a good thing.

To be honest I’m still shocked at how government have handled it. They escalated it saying all sorts about genuine working people who had legitimate concerns which was anathema to being a politician.

We had way too long and overblown covid restrictions in Ireland and the trust in politics has been massively impacted by that and their handling of this situation has awful optics that won’t help to build it back up.

There is a go fund me with €142k on it so they definitely have support coming from somewhere. I’m at a loss to know how that money will be distributed.

From all the wrong places.
A guarantee you there will end up an investigation as to where funds went.
Boots on the ground here see whos out there.
Not people anyone should support

I hope it won't descend into another riot on O'Connell Street. I think it might, due to rent a crowd as I thought at the very beginning of all this.

The best protest against fuel hikes is to just cycle or use the train/bus. But with our obesity rates I somehow doubt anyone will

Hahaha have you ever been on Irish country roads? Nobody is going to risk their life cycling to work that could be twenty miles or more away on narrow roads in the weather we get.

Protestors have confirmed they are going into a 6th day. Dublin a mess traffic and transport wise.

I just saw someone on Instagram (who is fairly moderate) say unless you are very wealthy it’s very hard to live in this country. Thats just not true.

There are many significant issues in Ireland, the housing crisis, SEN school places, all school places, care for this disabled, and many more.

If you are one of the people impacted by these issues, and I accept that isn’t a small number, you are struggling to live in this country.

However, a lot of middle income earners who are not wealthy, particular those who bought houses years ago have a perfectly good quality of life. And they are not insubstantial in number.

Ah crap.

As someone who bought my house in 1995 I agree with you. But it’s my two daughters who won’t be able to buy houses who will have it tough.

This is a very Dublin centric view. I live in Dublin and we only have one car and use the bike or walking a lot because it’s easier!

This is not the case rurally. A car is absolutely essential

OP here...I no longer support what it has become. They have a right to protest but not to hold the country to ransom. Blocking the Oil Refinery was wrong... apparently there have been very rough scenes there this afternoon between the protesters and the Guards. I hate seeing videos where people call the Guards cowards and traitors, etc.

Ugly but probably no choice/necessary scenes between Gardai and protestors at Whitegate.

I wonder what the alternative would have been? Like OP I hate to see this disconnect between public and Gardai. I'd imagine a good few of the protesters haven't been involved in such civil disobedience before and may not have expected such a response. But fuel pumps are emptying fast.

I think the Government was caught on the hop here. The response should have been swift and effective after day 1. Maybe allow planned protests on certain days, times and places, but stopping people especially those particularly vulnerable from getting where they absolutely need to be is outrageous. I read that one of the protesters was directing the traffic or something. Honest to God if the Guards don't keep on top of this there will be anarchy.

People in general are very angry at how country is being run. Never experienced anything like it. The politicians have nothing but contempt for the average taxpayer.

We can’t afford to let the oil be turned around at the port but also in order to get this governments attention then it’s not hard to see why the protesters have gone so far.

Many older people in this country are not adequately heating their homes.

We are a high tax country and what do we get for it. We still need expensive health insurance policies. The government and opposition do not represent the average Irish person. They find plenty money for their pet causes but the USC is still there. We have nothing to show for the huge amount of taxation the country has taken in. It has been wasted and not on the people.

Some of us are doing fine but anyone going out to work shouldn’t be struggling. Wages aren’t increasing in line with how expensive groceries, fuel, bills have increased.

Many want change but they don’t want to encounter any inconvenience to their own lives to get this change.

Some of the organisers of the protests might have dodgy histories but they probably are in a better position to raise their heads above the parquet everyone else keeps their heads down to protect what they have. I see nothing but corruption when I look at political class in Ireland protected by the media.

I cant seem to paste the link but yesterday Gavan Reilly posted the costings and real time reasons its not just viable overnight for Ireland to drop fuel prices, we are actually tied into the EU with this and we can't just go against it. I feel for the original protesters but its insane now with right wing gobshites it really is.

On principle I agree. But from a logical standpoint anyone who takes a few seconds to think can surely see that the government isn’t who sets these prices, it’s international corporations. And secondly, the dispruption caused to ordinary people is horrendous

Pure thuggery. People have really let themselves down. The guards have a tough job.

I live in a middle class urban place with an electric car. I was blissfully unaware of the issues until the protest. My local shop ran out of fresh food the other day and it stopped me in my tracks. I am completely dependent on others to survive and am living in a bubble. This past week I've learned so much about how desperate the situation has become. I know many people in my home town who are farmers and I've been talking to them and it's really opened my eyes. They've been struggling for some time. I don't know any hauliers but i know I need them. So I support the protesters, I don't agree with interfering with Dublin airport though but I think if nothing else they have made the city dwellers and middle classes wake up and pay more attention.

Dontlletmedownbruce
The working class city dwellers are well aware and support the protesters. We aren't ignorant, and we haven't been blissfully unaware of the issues

I think a lot of people forget that Ireland has done well from the EU including farming subsidies.

I completely agree with this post.

I don’t agree with what they are doing at all it’s pathetic . They don’t even have a spokesperson to liaise with at all.. they need to be dealt with asap the government are taking this very lightly also. I almost got caught up in one the other day on the motorway and I had my baby with me in the car and no food or bottles with me. I just thought the horror of being stuck on the motorway for hours and for what ? Think of all the people who are missing hospital appointments or even people on their way to a&e who might get caught up in it . It’s so selfish