Comments made by Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Wednesday about the ongoing fuel price protests escalated the demonstrations, one of the organisers of the protests has claimed.
James Geoghegan, a Westmeath contractor, told the Irish Farmers Journal on Thursday that the “message is that we can’t afford to go home”.
“The people here don’t mind being idle because it’s cheaper to be parked up than working with diesel prices where they are.
“We have had no response from the Government and the comments from Micheál Martin yesterday have actually escalated the protests and escalated them rapidly. Government is out of touch on the impact these fuel prices are having,” he said.
An Taoiseach said that the blockading of the oil refinery in Whitegate, Co Cork, was an “act of national sabotage”. He was also highly critical of the actions of protesters.
“Anybody who just simply parks a truck in the middle of nowhere - there should be penalties and there will be penalties in terms of any violations of various laws that apply there,” the Taoiseach said.
Geoghegan claimed that some people “stopped up work to join after they heard him”.
“In Dublin, we’d estimate that there’s three times as many people here today compared to yesterday and reports from around the country are similar to that as well,” he claimed.
“It’s now a national movement, not just a protest organised by a few lads. We have healthcare workers and taxi drivers joining.
“It started as a few people deciding to organise something and now the people have taken it over as their movement. There are 17 separate protests in Cork alone and around 38 across the country.”
Geoghegan maintains that protesters are unphased by comments from Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan on Thursday that gardaí have requested the army’s assistance in removing vehicles from critical infrastructure.
“We’ve a bigger army than they have and these contractors are tough men that are not for moving.”
The protests are blocking up major road networks around the country for a third day, as well as ports in Galway, Foynes and Ringaskiddy.
Gardaí have told protesters to immediately cease blockades of fuel depots and refineries or face the full rigours of the law.
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