A spokesman for the fuel protests which have convulsed the country this week has said that protesters are “not afraid” of the Army being deployed, and that ten more vehicles would replace any vehicle that was moved.
Asked if the threat of Army deployment was growing numbers at the protest, James Geoghegan, a Westmeath contractor said on RTÉ’s Prime Time: “My answer to the Army coming onto the streets is: we’ve actually a bigger army.”
“We’re not afraid of the Army,” he added. “The Army will not move this protest, and if any vehicle is touched on that protest there’ll be ten more to replace it immediately.”
The government has been sharply criticised for insisting that the Army will be deployed to move protesters and their vehicles, with the decision described as “madness” and “political aggression”.
However, Justice Minister said that “The blocking of critical national infrastructure will not be permitted to continue and the assistance of the Defence Forces has been requested,” he said.
This week Mr Geoghegan told the Irish Farmer’s Journal that comments made by Taoiseach Micheál Martin that the protest was “an act of national sabotage” had “escalated the demonstrations”.
James Geoghegan said that the protesters are looking for a meeting with government because the “message is that we can’t afford to go home”.
“The people here don’t mind being idle because it’s cheaper to be parked up than working with diesel prices where they are.
“We have had no response from the Government and the comments from Micheál Martin yesterday have actually escalated the protests and escalated them rapidly. Government is out of touch on the impact these fuel prices are having,” he said.