Police are 'monitoring the situation' as rumours surface of fuel price protests on Tuesday
The PSNI has said officers are “monitoring the situation” following online claims that Tuesday could bring fuel price protests to the Province’s roads.
Digital flyers have been circulated calling for action over the rising cost of petrol and diesel, mimicking protests in the Republic of Ireland.
It is not clear which group, if any, is responsible for the flyers.
The Department for Infrastructure referred the News Letter’s enquiries to the PSNI, which in turn said: “Police are aware of posters online calling for protests at various locations across Northern Ireland and we will be monitoring the situation.”
The most detailed of the flyers has been circulated by the Facebook group Cop/Vosa Watch NI, which generally tells people the locations of speeding vans.
It gives a time of 2pm for the protests, and lists them at the following places: Sprucefield, the Westlink in general in Belfast, Omagh town centre, Sandyknowes roundabout in Newtownabbey, Ballygawley roundabout, New Toome Bridge in Toomebridge, Larne Harbour, and Nutts Corner in south Antrim.
It is not clear what form the protests are meant to take, though the flyer summons HGV drivers and farmers in particular.
The same flyer has been circulated by the Facebook page My Omagh, and on Reddit.
A second flyer is circulating, but it is more vague, saying only that a protest will take place on Tuesday (with no time or place).
It has been circulated by the Facebook account ‘The City of Bangor, its past, present and future’, which says locations are to follow.
Meanwhile a third flyer has appeared on the Facebook page Ballykelly (devoted to the Co Londonderry village of the same name), saying there will be a “massive protest” from the Vale Centre in Greysteel to Culmore Road Roundabout at 8am on Monday.
In the Republic, the Irish army has been called in to remove heavy vehicles blocking fuel depots as part of a continuing protest over rising fuel prices.
The justice minister said that large vehicles blocking critical infrastructure would be removed.
Protests over the Irish Government’s response to rising fuel prices entered a third day today.
Several distinct but co-ordinated protests began on Tuesday involving slow-moving convoys on motorways and blockades on major roads in Dublin and other cities.
Hauliers and agricultural contractors using large trucks and tractors are among protesters disrupting traffic.
On Wednesday, protests escalated with vehicles blocking fuel depots.
In a statement this morning, justice minister Jim O’Callaghan said “the blocking of critical national infrastructure will not be permitted to continue and the assistance of the Defence Forces has been requested”.
He added owners of the vehicles involved in the blockades “should remove them immediately this morning and should not complain later about any damage caused to those vehicles during removal”.
The Defence Forces confirmed they had received a request for assistance from An Garda Siochana and said because “this operation is ongoing” they would not be commenting further.
The Irish premier, Micheal Martin, told RTE he did not “anticipate” there would be violence if the army and gardai moved in on demonstrators.
Mr Martin said “the government had to act” once the Whitegate oil refinery in Co Cork and the Foynes fuel terminal in Co Limerick were blocked.
Just over two weeks ago, Ireland’s ruling coalition signed off on a range of measures to reduce fuel costs, including a temporary excise duty reduction for motor fuels, expansion of the diesel rebate scheme for hauliers and bus operators, and an extension of the fuel allowance.
It saw an effective reduction of 17 cents for petrol, 22 cents for diesel, and five cents for green diesel – but the savings were largely eroded as the war raged on.