Fuel protests were never going to have any impact on Dublin Central & neither FG or FF were ever going to be competitive. But if the pro-fuel protest parties were not able to win Galway West - a mostly rural constituency - assumptions it heralded a new politics are wide of mark.
The Irish energy debate:
Gov: let’s look at nuclear.
Voters: No, look at renewables!
Gov: OK we put turbines and solar panels here here here and here
Voters: No, not there there there or there!
Electricity costs rise.
Voters: we need more power!
And so on.
Economics alone can't explain the blockades. The government parties must grapple with the reality that they've drifted into a social policy monoculture with the @SocDems.
None of this is to excuse the blockades, but we know from MAGA and Brexit that a cohort of our societies are strongly attached to things they've always known.
Another big fiscal package won't change their minds. And let's be honest. Some people's brains have been melted by social media, making it even harder. But there is a cohort of the supporters of the fuel protests that just want a government that's "culturally normal".
David W Higgins: There was more to the fuel protests than diesel prices – liberalism had gone too far
https://t.co/cN0c8nyOU1
O'Flynn helped plan the blockade at Whitegate. "If they (Gardai/army) land here & if they go blocking the road or pulling away trucks, we're after deciding there with Independent Ireland, WITH KEN, that we're just going to stand across the road & fold our arms"
All this yap about the govt having no mandate. Put that into legislation: are we genuinely saying we should have an automatic general election every time govt support drops below 50%?
What are we specifically actually saying? Reduce the Dail term to 2 years? What?
All this lad did was stand with absolute morons blocking fuel from getting around the county and delaying people who were actually going to do “hard work” during a global fuel supply shortage. Here he is making an emotional speech like they are some sort of heroes 🤡
Now surely Sinn Fein who are in power in northern Ireland will instruct the PSNI to stand down and they will go out there on the road and meet with those protesters individually.
Fuel protest spokesperson: "Nobody knows what the plan is... this protest is out of my hands".
⛽🚫Have the fuel protests gotten out of control? Anton speaks with John Dallon, Kildare farmer and protest spokesperson.
Since you ask, it is a criminal offence to obstruct the highway. More important, it is a serious common law offence to organise or agree with others to obstruct the highway or to blockade access to ports and depots. It is the offence of conspiracy. An indictable offence at common law. There is no constitutional right to do so. The State and the Gardai are entitled to clear the highway. Obstructing them is also a criminal offence. Check it out if you doubt me.
They don't have the right. End of
A national security risk doesn't get to slide because the people engaging in it are hard working
There's no special tax credit you receive to occupy critical infrastructure for free
This is the reality of the blockade.
Healthcare put at risk.
Businesses damaged.
The vulnerable made more vulnerable.
Ordinary people prevented from going about their daily lives.
And with no mandate to do so.
It has gone too far - it has to end.
Big respect to all the members of An Garda Síochana who are doing their job and have no choice but to face and communicate with the protesters and blockades.
Seemingly, the only group doing something to try to fix the chaos.
Lads, stand in an election if you want to claim to represent the people of Ireland. It's not expensive to put your name on a ballot.
And let's face ye changed yer minds last about what ye wanted, so how could anyone meet with ye? Ye're less reliable than the weather.