I’ve been focused on the war on Iran for the last while. This post is a note on one of its distant but direct consequences. In protest at an extreme spike in fuel costs, several thousand men and women who own large vehicles have used them to blockade key infrastructure across Ireland. One third of petrol stations were empty this morning. The Guards are all out, rest days cancelled.

From my townie perspective, these fuel protests came out of nowhere. There are aspects I’d criticize, aspects I’d be uneasy about, and it’s taken me a while to think it all through. But behind all the noise, this is the cost-of-living revolt that many in both countryside and town have been waiting for. Right now it’s led by businesspeople (small and large) rather than by unions, the left or working-class communities. But here it is, and it has a really surprising amount of popular support,  more than I would have thought any highly disruptive protest could have.

And just so we’re not hiding the miserable reality behind the vague word “disruption”, this is a message to thejournal.ie:

Of course, protest is supposed to be disruptive. But that disruption can be judged and calibrated. There is a whole spectrum of disruption short of “indefinite blockade of the whole country with no warning.” I say no warning, because maybe notice was given online, but most of us are not up to speed with what’s happening on haulierTok. If this thing wins, it will be in spite of the strategy of a sudden indefinite blockade, not because of it.

This criticism is serious but it doesn’t change my basic attitude. Complaints about disruption sometimes miss the point that the status quo, against which people are protesting, is unbearably disruptive.

See below, from the Irish Examiner:

Finally I want to address something that’s really annoyed me. Calling this protest far right is not just unfair, it’s undeserved advertising for the actual far right. They wish they had a monopoly on anger over the cost of living.

I’ve seen anecdotes and screenshots that show individual spokespersons of the movement in a very bad light. Other stuff I’ve seen is surprisingly mixed:  https://www.thejournal.ie/ireland-protests-7008346-Apr2026/.

Reactionary ideas are widespread in society especially in the last few years. Even in what would be ideal from my perspective, a union-led, left-led or worker-led movement, we would see at least traces of this. The actually-existing movement is made up of older business-owning men. Enough said! It’s not conceding anything to any opinions that some resentful small business owner may or may not hold, to support the just and popular demands that he raises.

The government’s response has been dreadful: “give up all your leverage and then we’ll tell you what’s on offer.” It feels like we’re back where this post started, with Trump and Iran.