Fuel price anger sparks nationwide disruption as police dismantle blockades

12 April 2026 , 19:23

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Police have removed a blockade in central Dublin by farmers and hauliers protesting against fuel prices, indicating a possible end to six days of protests that have shaken Ireland.

Mounted units and hundreds of officers peacefully regained control of O’Connell Street, clearing it of trucks and tractors on Sunday morning.

Other police units sealed off a section of the city of Galway in an effort to end a blockade at a fuel depot, the latest in a series of coordinated actions that started on Saturday when gardaí removed protesters from outside the Whitegate oil refinery in County Cork, leading to scuffles and the use of pepper spray.

Protesters outside a fuel terminal in Foynes, County Limerick, said they would lift the blockade at 1pm on Sunday.

An emergency cabinet meeting was expected to approve measures to reduce fuel costs and address a political crisis that has unsettled and divided the government, with some leaders advocating a tough stance against what they called “economic sabotage”, and others favoring compromise.

It was unclear whether the police actions and proposed financial relief, a carrot-and-stick strategy, would completely end protests that have shown effective coordination despite lacking central leadership or organization.

The protesting farmers, hauliers, and other groups caused traffic chaos and severely disrupted fuel distribution in response to a 20% increase in fuel prices since last month, a ripple effect from the conflict in the Middle East that has pressured governments worldwide to limit fuel prices.

Even with hundreds of fuel stations running dry, 56% of voters supported the protesters, according to a poll in the Sunday Independent, a solidarity that some analysts attributed to the broader cost of living crisis.

Roads and motorways that had been blocked were now flowing freely, and protesters who had spent consecutive nights sleeping in their vehicles seemed relieved to return home, but others expressed anger at the police actions and vowed protests would continue until demands were met.

“Nobody in the city of Dublin or the country could say our assembly was anything but peaceful,” said Christopher Duffy, a spokesperson. The police threat to tow tractors and trucks forced their withdrawal because the vehicles would be damaged if dragged without the engine running, he said.

“We have no choice. Financially, we have to move the vehicles,” he said, urging independent and rural lawmakers to withdraw support for the centre-right coalition government of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. Asked if the protests were entirely over, he replied: “I don’t think so.”

James Geoghegan, another spokesperson, said protesters would not relent until demands were met. “This protest does not end until the cost of living is reduced to a level that allows us to stay in business,” he told RTÉ. “People can go home and regroup. Many people want to go home, take maybe a day’s rest, and come back out because until the issues are resolved, the protest doesn’t end.”

The cabinet meeting later on Sunday was expected to approve measures to assist agriculture, transport, fishing, and other sectors most impacted by fuel prices. The government stated it would announce the measures, described as targeted and temporary, only after the protests concluded.