A potentially crippling campaign of fuel protests failed to materialise across the United Kingdom this week as tiny groups of beleaguered demonstrators failed to stop tankers filling up with petrol and diesel at oil refineries and depots across the country.
Blaming ”heavy-handed” police tactics and corporate pressure on lorry drivers not to join the campaign, protesters were outnumbered by the press at the Shell refinery in Jarrow, south Tyneside, in the north east of England, and by police at a distribution centre at Purfleet, Essex, east of London.
With few demonstrators in sight, it was also business as usual at two refineries in west Wales that, five years ago, witnessed dramatic blockades.
Ray Holloway, of the Petrol Retailers’ Association, on Wednesday said fuel prices were likely to fall to pre- Hurricane Katrina levels, with a reduction of four pence from the record high of 96 pence a litre.
Organisers had hoped their peaceful protests would persuade the tanker drivers visiting the refineries to refuse to fill up, but they admitted turnout was ”poor” and ”a big let down”. Peter Knight, of British Hauliers, surveying the six placards at the Purfleet demonstration, said: ”We are disappointed. There’s 15 of the biggest hauliers from Kent here. Where are all the Essex lads? I don’t understand.”
The protests turned to farce at Purfleet when police, losing patience with one protester, Mick Presnel, dragged him from his car and inadvertently pulled his trousers down. He was taken to hospital complaining of a slipped disc. It was a final humiliation for the hauliers, who admitted defeat in their attempt to persuade tanker drivers to refuse to fill up and so cause shortages nationwide.
The protesters, however, claimed a victory, saying tanker traffic had been much reduced. But no tankers stopped for the protesters and others were re-routed. According to Captain Gatso, the anonymous campaigner helping to organise the protests, the low turnout was owing to ”intelligence-led, heavy-handed police tactics” and ”intimidation” of tanker drivers. — Â