Protesters have created huge disruption on the M4 after organising a demonstration calling for a larger reduction in fuel duty.
On Monday morning, the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge was closed in both directions as protesters crawled along the three-lane carriageway from Magor services, across the bridge and back again. Traffic was held and redirected for long periods. Some waiting motorists were spotted playing football on an empty carriageway.
At about 11am, police closed the Prince of Wales Bridge to make several arrests and seize some vehicles involved in the protest. Gwent Police said at 11.50am that it had "fully re-opened" the road.
Read more: Fuel protestors arrested on the M4 and vehicles seized by police
Members of the public have been discussing their thoughts on the demonstration, with many leaving comments below WalesOnline coverage of the incident on Facebook. Many called into question the fairness of disrupting the lives of workers and business owners, who are also subject to high fuel prices.
Richard Davies said: "Silly really. It's going to seriously affect businesses and people going to and from work. If people want to protest the best place would be in central London, right on the government's doorstep."
Debbie Dave Evans wrote: "Glad these protesters have no jobs to go to, yes fuel prices are high but stopping normal people going about daily business will not help. Hope there is no other issue that the police are needed for whilst this is going on or some poor innocent waiting for an ambulance."
Others appeared to be outraged by the protests, arguing that the demonstrators are "deluded if you think it’s going to make a difference". One woman said: ‘"Well done, you’ve proved a point, protesting about fuel but wasting it driving over the bridge and back."
Several people argued the protests should have occurred near UK Government bases in Westminster and Downing Street. One Facebook user said the demonstrators should "go protest outside parliament but why punish the worker... wrong on so many levels" placing concern for small, independent businesses who struggle to maintain their businesses with the ongoing fuel and cost of living crisis.
Many also displayed gratitude and support for the protesters.
"Well done to each and every driver out there today trying to make a difference for us all," one Facebook user said, while another wrote: "Well done all, I am so glad someone is finally doing something! Nice to see all the people on here who can still afford fuel whinging as usual."
Numbers of people wrote ‘good for them’ with concerns of child poverty and the cost of living crisis, and how ‘if everyone stuck together’ and protested, a positive difference would be made, calling for ‘protests everywhere up and down the country’. ‘Everyone should back the protests, they’re doing this for everyone...so stop whinging’.
The debate also created space for mockery. One Facebook user said: "I can’t afford the fuel to get up there, so I’ll just block the outside of my house again", with more comments placing emphasis on the government, and that in order to make the government care, they should find a way to affect them directly, "so maybe we should all go block their driveways".
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