Fuel protesters in Dublin city centre have claimed they were "ambushed" by an "army" of public order police as authorities moved to clear blockades.
The operation, which took place overnight, saw O’Connell Street, the capital’s main thoroughfare, cleared ahead of an emergency Cabinet meeting scheduled for Sunday.
The Irish Government hopes this meeting will finalise measures aimed at ending all demonstrations over escalating fuel costs.
The widespread protests, which have now entered their sixth day for some participants, have severely disrupted fuel distribution across Ireland.
Blockades targeted not only major motorways with slow-moving convoys but also the country’s sole oil refinery and key depots. This sustained action, largely led by hauliers, farmers, and agricultural workers, began on Tuesday as separate but coordinated efforts.
The escalating police response has seen public order units deployed in Cork, Galway, and Dublin, resulting in several arrests.
Protesters’ spokesmen are urging the Government to take immediate steps to reduce fuel prices, which they contend are at unsustainable levels and threaten to force businesses into closure.
A Garda Operation is ongoing on O'Connell Street to remove all illegally parked vehicles.
— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) April 12, 2026
Frontline Uniform Gardaí, Plain Clothes Gardaí & Garda Public Order Units have been deployed.
Blockading vehicles being removed under escort.
Blockaders must comply with Garda directions. pic.twitter.com/hqhN9Kualg
As of 8am on Sunday, approximately 20 large vehicles and tractors, along with dozens of participants and supporters, remained on O’Connell Street and nearby quays in Dublin.
Steel barriers have been erected on surrounding roads to prevent further access, with the Irish police service An Garda Siochana monitoring the cordon while street cleaners cleared debris.
Speaking about the overnight Garda operation on O’Connell Street, protest spokesman Christopher Duffy said he was “upset”, “disappointed” and “angry”.
He added: “Nobody in the city of Dublin or the country could say our assembly was anything but peaceful.”
Mr Duffy said he believes protesters were denied due process, adding: “We got absolutely ambushed here last night by what I can only describe as an army of (public order gardai).
“At this point, we’re pulling out of O’Connell Street because we have been threatened with – I don’t know the law, section 8 on the vehicles – if we don’t get out by a certain time they’re threatening to tow the vehicles on us.
“These vehicles are very expensive with automatic transmissions and everything, and if they drag them with the engine not on they could wreck them.
“So we have no choice, financially we have to move the vehicles.”
He called for rural TDs and independents “propping up the Government” to call a motion of no confidence in the coalition.
Asked if the overall protests are now over, he said: “I don’t think so.”
The coalition Government is expected to sign off on fuel-cost measures on Sunday evening, but it remains to be seen if it will convince protesters to call off their actions before the return of schools on Monday adds to pressure on the roads.
A Garda Operation is ongoing at Whitegate Refinery to ensure critical supplies of fuel to maintain critical emergency public services, including Ambulance and Fire Services.
— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) April 11, 2026
Garda Public Order Units have been deployed.
Blockaders must comply with Garda directions. pic.twitter.com/qhirYj9DPC
Gardai cleared a blockade of the Whitegate oil refinery in Co Cork around lunchtime on Saturday and vowed to implement further enhanced enforcement actions.
It saw physical clashes between protesters and gardai, who used pepper spray during the hour-long operation which resecured access for fuel trucks.
Gardai were later called to a similar action at Galway harbour, where hundreds of protesters gathered in pouring rain while restricting access to a fuel depot by blocking the way with tractors.
Members of the Public Order Unit, wearing protective gear and batons, were at the scene for hours overnight.
A Garda Operation is ongoing at Galway Docks to ensure critical supplies of fuel to maintain critical emergency public services, including Ambulance and Fire Services.
— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) April 12, 2026
Garda Public Order Units have been deployed.
Blockaders must comply with Garda directions. pic.twitter.com/sQMuGug57P
The protest and Garda response continued on Sunday morning.
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly had vowed to step up enforcement against fuel-cost protesters “endangering the state” by blocking critical infrastructure.
Protesters’ demands for meetings with Government were not acceded to but relevant ministers held talks with established national representative bodies on Friday and Saturday.
These meetings concluded with a “substantial” package involving a temporary fuel transport support scheme” and “temporary fuel support”.
It is understood the transport support scheme will see direct payments to businesses in the sectors affected by high fuel costs.
A senior source said the scheme will be part of a broader package on the fuel crisis.
The engagements included Irish Road Haulage Association president Ger Hyland, who said there were “the bones of an agreement” with the Government.
He added he hoped the “substantial package”, understood to include a direct payment scheme, would be agreed by Sunday morning.
The Cabinet is due to meet at 4pm on Sunday to sign off on the measures.
The pledge of a “substantial” package was not enough to dissuade protesters away from their blockades without Garda intervention on Saturday.
Commissioner Kelly said the blockades of critical infrastructure “resulted in fuel shortages that are directly impacting on emergency services such as hospitals, the ambulance service and the fire service, as well as businesses and the general public”.
He said: “These are blockades. They are not a legitimate form of protest.”
He added: “We gave the blockaders fair warning that we were moving to enforcement and they choose to ignore it and continue to hold the country to ransom.”
A small number of Defence Forces personnel with heavy-lift recovery trucks have been on standby to assist gardai with moving large vehicles if needed.
The escalated enforcement action came as Fuels for Ireland chief executive Kevin McPartlan warned it would “still take 10 days to recover” to normal.
Mr McPartlan, who had estimated that up to two-thirds of the country’s 1,500 filling stations could have ran dry by Sunday morning, said the situation is “rapidly changing” due to the garda interventions – but said hundreds of forecourts would still be without fuel.
While fuel truck access to Whitegate oil refinery was ramping up significantly, ongoing disruption on major roads was affecting distribution.
Blockades have resulted in full closures of parts of major motorways, although Gardai announced blockades on the M50 at junctions five and seven had been cleared on Sunday morning.
Meanwhile, police in Northern Ireland said they are “maintaining an ongoing assessment” in relation to social media posts calling for similar planned protests there.
A PSNI spokeswoman said: “A policing response has been prepared, if needed, to ensure public safety and to help minimise any potential disruption to the wider community.”
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