Protests over fuel prices have caused chaos in Ireland and spread to Norway in a knock-on effect from the conflict in the Middle East. Irish drivers were urged to only buy fuel they needed as 100 filling stations ran out, with the National Emergency Coordination Group warning the number could rise to 500 on Friday. Hauliers, farmers and other groups blocked motorways and brought parts of Dublin to a standstill on the fourth consecutive day of action.
The Irish government put the army on standby to help remove blockades, and police warned some protesters to disperse or face arrest, prompting defiance and threats to continue the disruption for weeks. Protests were endangering critical supplies of food, fuel, clean water and animal feed, the police force, An Garda Síochána, said. Government leaders accused protesters of holding the country to 'ransom'.
The blockade of ports and a refinery meant Ireland was on the verge of turning away oil deliveries and losing its supply, the taoiseach, Micheál Martin, told RTÉ. Despite government mitigation measures, the price of diesel has risen from about €1.70 a litre to €2.17, and petrol from about €1.74 to €1.97 in recent weeks. A meeting between ministers and representative bodies from the haulage and farming industries ended without a resolution, with talks continuing on Saturday.
In Norway, lorry drivers taking part in the 'diesel roar' protest descended on the capital, Oslo, driving a convoy of about 70 to 80 trucks to parliament. Norway cut fuel taxes on 1 April, but hauliers say they need more predictable and lower prices. Fuel prices in Norway surged since the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with the price of fuel and lubricants rising by 17.9% from February to March, and diesel prices jumping by 23.6%.
The rise in oil prices since the US and Israel began attacking Iran on 28 February has convulsed global markets and triggered outcries from consumers and businesses. Some countries announced temporary cuts in fuel taxes, while others took measures to restrict demand and considered rationing. The Philippines declared a state of 'national energy emergency', and authorities in France announced fuel tankers would be allowed to circulate on weekends and public holidays until 11 May to avert widespread shortages.
