Claire Dickson
With rocketing fuel prices forming a key part of the current cost of living crisis, protestors in England took action. Three-lane motorways saw convoys of vehicles causing congestion across two lanes whilst the ‘fast’ outside lane was left free.
Fuel Price Stand Against Tax
Under the social media banner ‘Fuel Price Stand Against Tax’, convoys drove at 30 mph with the intention of delaying traffic on major roads and motorways. This action took place across a range of roads in England and Scotland, such as M4 and Prince of Wales Bridge, the M5 in Devon, the M32 in Gloucestershire, the A38 in Devon and the M180 in Lincolnshire.
A major level of police intervention was evident at the M4 and Prince of Wales Bridge protest with twelve people being arrested, and the bridge was closed off to public use.
Was Police Presence Needed?
“They stated that whilst they respect people’s right to peacefully protest, any criminal activity would be dealt with accordingly.”
Police have defended their actions over the course of the protest on the M62 where they made use of a device which punctured the tyres of motorists partaking in the convoy. After one protestor posted a Tweet questioning whether or not the West Yorkshire Police were respecting the lawful right to a peaceful protest, the West Yorkshire Police responded by explaining their current status of negotiation with a small group of protestors over how to peacefully, lawfully and safely carry on with the demonstration. They stated that whilst they respect people’s right to peacefully protest, any criminal activity would be dealt with accordingly.
It was also mentioned that police would take action if the protest infringed on the rights of other members of the public as this would – in their view – protect the majority of citizens.
People Behind The Protests
Alongside mass protests come individual stories and experiences which have compelled those involved to make a stand for their cause.
“Forced to quit their jobs due to the cost of commuting”
Marcin Gonera is a 42-year-old lorry driver and business owner from Bristol who is determined to protest until change comes about. He claims his reason for doing so is that the price hike doesn’t solely affect him, but everyone across the United Kingdom. He also commented on on rising fuel prices acting as a catalyst for the cost of everything else, feeding into the cost of living as a whole.
Others have been affected when it comes to employment. Vicky Stamper from South Wales and her partner have both been forced to quit their jobs due to the cost of commuting. The £380 per week cost to commute to and from work was in her opinion worth calling the government out as the disruption protests cause to other drivers is for their sake as well.
The Government’s Response
The government responded to the sound of protest ringing out on motorways across the country, with then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak commenting that he will carefully consider calls for a more substantial fuel duty cut.
This comes after the 5p per litre cut put in place in March was unsuccessful in stopping rising prices. The government also released a statement emphasising that, whilst it understands the situation ordinary people are faced with regarding price rises, it is unfair to cause disruption to journeys, and the plans of protesters could backfire if the protest ends up adding to fuel use.
However, data from Experian shows that the average price of a litre of petrol within the UK reached its highest level since the beginning of the crisis on Thursday at 191.4p, whilst diesel rose to 199.1p. It follows then that protestors will expect further governmental action as figures continue down a bleak trajectory.
Featured image courtesy of Nabeel Syed on Unsplash. Image license can be found here. No changes were made to this image.
