Irish police have moved to clear protesters who are blocking the country’s only oil refinery, as mounting disruption to fuel supplies raises economic concerns.
Officers intervened on Saturday at the Whitegate refinery after a senior government minister warned that protests over surging fuel prices had created a “very dangerous economic moment” for Ireland.
The demonstrations, driven by a more than 20% rise in diesel prices since the outbreak of the US–Israeli conflict with Iran, have seen protesters deploy tractors and trucks to obstruct key energy infrastructure. Blockades have targeted the Whitegate refinery, two ports, a fuel terminal, and multiple roads in Dublin.
The government has warned that the disruption has left hundreds of petrol stations without fuel, with knock-on risks for emergency services.
Police operations on Saturday resulted in at least one arrest, with officers pushing back demonstrators and using specialist equipment to remove large vehicles from the refinery site, according to footage from RTÉ.
