Fuel protest Galway routes and roads blocked as gardai issue warning over planned Friday strike
The Garda Commissioner has issued a strict no toleration warning ahead of possible fuel protests which are being planned for Friday
The group, People of Ireland Against Fuel Prices, are planning to mirror last April’s protest by blocking some of the main motorways, cities, towns and roads across Ireland at the end of the week.
April saw convoys of tractors and people from the agricultural sector hit for Dublin from their different counties, in a slow-moving protest across the motorways and main streets of the capital for several days.
In Galway, local protesters, said to at one stage have reached around 300 people, gathered at and blocked the fuel depot by Galway Harbour.
If the planned protest goes ahead, Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said that “there will be absolutely no toleration for any blockage, anything in the next few days, anything around motorways or any critical infrastructure”.
The Irish Road Haulage Association added that while they were “aware” of the planned protest on Friday, they were not “involved and would not be participating”
The 12-hour planned protest is calling on “feeder areas” from Galway in Tuam, Loughrea, Ballinasloe and Athenry to depart at 7am with a main gathering planned in Galway city for around 9am.
If it goes ahead, local “gathering and feeder convoys” will also be met by a nationwide slow-drive to Dublin, causing delays and blockages to: M1: Castlebellingham and surrounding areas; N2: Ardee and Carrickmacross; N3: Virginia and Clonee; N4/M4: Enfield and Kinnegad; M7: Junction 14, Monasterevin and N11: Ashfield and Wicklow.
There is also a public demonstration planned for 12pm on Friday at the GPO on O’Connell Street followed by a march through Dublin city centre to Dublin Castle.
The organisers said: “The proposed protest will bring people together across all 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland to call for action on fuel prices and the cost of living.
“County coordinators should arrange suitable off-road assembly areas and coordinate lawful vehicle journeys into Dublin with Gardaí and relevant authorities.
“All routes must maintain emergency access, comply with road traffic laws and avoid deliberate obstruction of motorway or arterial-road traffic.”