The fuel protests drew significant support from online influencers, with Johnnie O’Brien from popular podcast the 2 Johnnies saying the government were “As tight as the top of a tin whistle”.
The national fuel protests have maintained widespread grassroots support despite the intense government condemnation and a forceful police crackdown, with a number of popular internet personalities lending their support to the movement.
Yesterday, Minister Michael Healy Rae reigned in protest over the government’s handling of its response to the demonstrations amid dramatic scenes in the Dáil.
Protesters, primarily truckers, farmers, and agricultural workers, have made the point that soaring costs, which have been driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, are pricing them out of their day-to-day economic activities.
“I don’t think the Irish government could have handled this any worse”
Star of the 2 Johnnies podcast, Johnnie O’Brien, posted a video message on Facebook in which he accused the government of being “As tight as the top of a tin whistle”.
He said, “I don’t think the Irish government could have handled this any worse”, adding that many of those who took to the roads and streets in protest were “being taxed out of existence”.
Social media influencer and political commentator, Michael McCarthy, who has well over 1,000,000 followers, posted a GoFundMe page to support the needs of those involved in the protests, which to date has received over €152,000 in donations.
Jim O’Callaghan’s military intervention calls “drove everyone over the edge”
Louise Burne, the Political Correspondent for the Irish Examiner, said that a lack of communication from the senior party members and parliamentary party members had caused issues for Fianna Fáil.
She said party members on the ground were taken aback by Jim O’Callaghan calling on the Defence Forces to clear the protests, saying that it was known that the vast majority of those protesting were ordinary decent working people.
A young Cork farmer famous for his love of slurry organised a local protest.
Michelstown farmer Eoin Lynch, who went viral after an interview he gave at the 2024 Ploughing Championships, went viral.
At the time, the young man told Agriland about his fondness for slurry and “slurry gear”:
Speaking at the protest, he said that there was “no chance” for him or his peers to go farming due to the rising operational costs.
“There’s no chance for a young fella to get into farming anymore,” he said.
“The whole country is so proud of ye!”
Galway-based organic vegetable and flower grower, Chloe Winter, posted a video in support of the protesters in which she assured them that “the whole country” was behind the movement.
In the video, which was viewed over half a million times on X, she said, “the whole world is watching, adding that she had been “shouting” for years about “how fragile our food system really is.”
On X, she slammed President Catherine Connoly for her lack of support for the movement, while also aiming at the Taoiseach.
Cavan-based musician Ciaran Halton wrote a song for the Taoiseach in which he told Micheál Martin, “I hope you’re doing well” as he was “putting us through hell”.