Fuel protesters who block roads or engage in go-slows on motorways will be forcibly stopped, detained and their vehicles towed away. The moves have been set out under a pro-arrest strategy to deal with lingering disruption since last weekend.
Garda sources said the protest movement was so fluid and disjointed, with no clear leadership or even central group, that further disruption could occur in any part of the country in the days or weeks to come.
They added any further disruption on the roads would result in go-slow truckers on motorways being stopped for endangerment and arrested. This would be carried out by gardaí in vehicles, backed by members of the Public Order Unit.
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said he was also concerned to hear about “attempts in person and online to threaten and intimidate gardaí who are engaged in their lawful work” during the policing of protests over the past week.
READ MORE
“I have viewed some of this online material myself and have been absolutely appalled by it. This will not be tolerated and will be fully investigated with the aim of bringing those involved to justice,” he said in a message sent to every member of the Garda.
The chief executive of Fuels For Ireland, Kevin McPartlan, also described days of “intimidation and threats and insults to drivers” of fuel trucks.
Kelly last week declared an “exceptional event”, which gives a commissioner the power to cancel annual leave for Garda members and places public order-trained gardaí on alert. This is allowable if there is a threat to State security. The measure has been extended to at least Tuesday night, due to the lingering risk of further protests.
Garda spotters reported particular concerns around a protest event held in Cork on Sunday, which was attended by hundreds of people. Many fuel protesters were present, including those who came in tractors.
Gardaí were concerned about the leadership role assumed by some far-right agitators and the attendance of well-known criminal elements at the event. Information from the Cork gathering was fed into the overall intelligence picture that led to the Garda’s “exceptional event” period being extended to at least Tuesday night.
Though a number of protesters continued to cause disruption on the roads network early on Monday, they appeared to dissipate through the day, with minimal Garda intervention required.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland reported on Monday afternoon that the roads network was protest-free, after go-slows and road closures earlier in the day.
These had taken place on the M3/N3, where a blockade closed the southbound lanes between junction 11 at Kells and junction 9 at Navan, Co Meath. That blockade appeared to persist longer than disruption in other parts of the country early in the day.
There were also reports of a go-slow fuel protest by truckers on the N4 main dual carriageway south of Sligo town. There was disruption between Athy, junction 3, and Kilcullen, junction 2 on the M9, the main road from Waterford to Dublin. On the M1 and on the Naas Road, a rolling blockade towards the Long Mile Road disrupted commuter traffic.
Garda sources said many of those involved in the blockades and protesting on Monday, and over the past week, appeared very concerned their vehicles would be damaged if towed away.
Once it became clear at blockade and protest locations across the country that gardaí were moving in, with a risk that vehicles would be towed, the owners of the vehicles generally moved on.
