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Fishermen, lorry-drivers protest across continent

Article published on the 2008-05-30 Latest update 2008-07-15 13:11 TU

Bulgarian lorry-drivers' blockade (Photo: Reuters)

Bulgarian lorry-drivers' blockade
(Photo: Reuters)

Fishermen's protests at rising fuel prices spread through Europe Friday, while farmers and lorry-drivers also made their anger felt. Italy has refused to give its fishermen emergency aid, unlike France which announced 100 million euros to fishermen last week. The protests are spreading across Europe:

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  • Le Havre, France: Fishermen have blocked France's second-largest port with 20 trawlers, preventing boats from entering or leaving the harbour, according to port authorities.
  • Rhone-Alpes region, France: Farmers are still blockading six fuel depots throughout this southern region after spending the night and setting up roadblocks.
  • Near Toulouse, France: Some 100 farmers left the fuel depot in southern France after a tense standoff with police, said a farmer's spokesperson.  Protesters had blockaded the site for two days.
  • Fos-sur-Mer, France: Fishermen left their blockades at this oil terminal when riot police arrived. Police say that fishermen also left the La Mede and Ineos oil refineries.
  • Lorient and Le Guilvinec, France: Fishermen in France's second and third-largest fishing ports, both located in Brittany, voted to end their strike.

 

Italian fishermen said they would stay in port until they could meet with Agriculture Minister Luca Zaia. An estimated 11,000 to 12,000 are on strike as of Friday.

  • Marche region, Italy: Fishermen on the central eastern coast of Italy are on strike.
  • Molise region, Italy: Fishmen on the Adriatic Sea area of south-central Italy are on strike.
  • Lazio region, Italy: Fishermen in Anzio, near Rome, refused to move from their boats, unfurling protest banners.

 

In Portugal, no boats went out on Friday, according to Antonio Macedo the head of the fishing union coalition. But Portugual's Fisheries Minister said that some deep-sea fishermen were still operating.

  • Peniche, Portugal: Boat-owners tied their boats together overnight to prevent any unloading of fish.

 

In Bulgaria, truckers blocked the ring road in the capital, Sofia, to protest fuel prices.