Fuel began flowing again from Whitegate oil refinery in Co Cork on Sunday, a day after protesters lifted a blockade that had stalled operations for days at a site responsible for about 40 per cent of the State’s petroleum supplies.
Oil tankers busily rolled through the harbour village as they travelled to replenish empty petrol and diesel tanks on service station forecourts and at other locations. Gardaí manned junctions and diverted traffic away from the road leading to the refinery.
On Saturday, there was a sense of anticipation in Whitegate after previous attempts by gardaí to escort oil tankers into the Irving Oil refinery were foiled by up to 200 hauliers, farmers and contractors blocking their way.
Gardaí returned on Saturday with a clearer plan, with 50 officers on checkpoint duty on the main Midleton to Whitegate road and along back roads to prevent protesters bringing in more trucks or tractors to expand the blockade.
RM Block
More than 60 public order unit officers, equipped with protective gear, batons and pepper spray canisters, were also deployed.
Using a megaphone, Insp Dave Noonan addressed those involved in the blockade, asking them to clear the area and warning that they would be committing an offence if they did not.
The protesters stood their ground and the public order unit members advanced. They began forcing the protesters off the road, with several people pushed to the ground and a few scuffles breaking out as officers hemmed the demonstrators in between barriers.
According to one garda, about 10 officers deployed pepper spray during the confrontations, with protesters saying a 14-year-old boy was among those affected by the substance being used in a confined space.
Gardaí did not draw their batons during the exchanges, which consisted mainly of pushing and jostling. Many of the protesters were angry about being moved off the road, but the protest remained peaceful, though some choice words were exchanged.
The road was cleared of protesters within about 30 minutes, with Noonan again using his megaphone to advise the owners of the tractors blocking the road to remove them or face having Army engineers do so using lifting equipment. He said he could not guarantee the tractors would not be damaged if it came to that.
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Soon afterwards, it became clear the tractor owners had handed over their keys, with gardaí climbing into the vehicles and moving them on.
The mood eased as the protesters, cordoned off in an area near Whitegate’s Main Street, seemed to sense the game was up in terms of blocking the tankers. While one or two taunted the gardaí, most settled back and began chatting with members of the force.
There were some jeers when the first tankers arrived and left with a Garda escort, but with the blockade broken, the protest had become largely symbolic. Three hours later, the protesters decided to lift the blockade and began to leave in their trucks and tractors.
