Spanish smash windscreens in European fuel protests

Spanish smash windscreens in European fuel protests

www.guardian.co.uk

Spanish smash windscreens in European fuel protests

* Reuters
* , Monday June 9 2008

* Spanish and Portuguese truckers strike, French protest
* Spanish-French border closed to goods traffic
* Spain to announce measures to counter fuel price surge
By Andrew Hay
MADRID, June 9 (Reuters) - Spanish truck drivers smashed windscreens and Portuguese truckers blocked roads on Monday as protests over rocketing global fuel prices spread across Europe.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Should all fuel protests be this extreme? Will this get results - will fuel costs come down or will governments keep fuel prices high as a way of creating civil unrest as exampled in Spain, Portugal and France? Nice easy excuse to send in the troops.

If this happened in the U.K, I'd join in.

I hope for people in the U.K to refuse to use any vehicle that runs with diesel or petrol and thereby force prices to come down by lowered fuel demand - the more fuel there is in the market and the less demand there is for it, the more saturated the market becomes so the less the product is worth.

www.guardian.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

Continued from the same source:



This is serious when the strikes are indefinite and food shortages are made more likely.

I'm with you Rapacity. If this happened in the UK i'd join in, and I don't even own a car!

I think we have now unfortunately hit a point where governments are listening less to the people and more to large profit-making corporations. In these circumstances the people rising up in anger is what it takes to make them listen.

The UK protests so far have been minimal compared to the continent, and we get taxed higher on fuel (even though we have our own oil!). Maybe we'll get this angry as well soon.

Controlling the cost of fuel is simply the best way to control entire nations. Absolutely everything we rely on from day to day is 100% dependent on the availability of fuel and by tightening the reigns by increasing fuel costs we're seeing nations around the world forced into actions like this.

I fear we will not see the end of this until "their" goal is reached whatever that might be. It certainly can't be world domination because they seem to have pretty well cinched. I believe that once a certain point is reached then the US will begin exploiting it's own natural fuel resources which is more than enough to alleviate much of the current fuel costs. We're just keeping it in our back pocket until the time is right and everyone has to come crawling to us begging for a drop of fuel.

This entire crises is clearly manufactured as evident by the record profits of fuel companies and the alternative sources of oil not being exploited.

When we protest rising fuel and food costs, I will be there 100 percent. Physically and mentally. Never mind the faces pulled by both government and media.

I'm ashamed to be in today's Britain of apathy toward defending (re-gaining) our personal financial and physical wellbeing. It is definitely so that we have been walked, in sleep, into the very cold and blind nation in which we currently live.

Yesterday, I read a book that describes methods for catching out those who lie. It isn't the first I've read. The others (including this one) I disagreed with on many points but yesterday I had an epiphany - we are so used to being lied to that we only accept the truth when it is stated in the appearance of a lie!

We have been told (and lead to believe) that to defend and support those whom might protest society's ills is akin to defending and supporting those whom would damage our country's economic and social wellbeing.

Our media mock protests by either poking fun at them else they show their negative results.

Few media show the positive results of protest i.e something of benefit to the protesters. Few media show that we can force our collective will by protest. Indeed, protest seems to be so evil and damaging to us that it is virtually outlawed for our own benefit. Is this outlawing the same as saying that we may not speak our mind for we might hurt ourselves?

Our country is so disjointed it is deeper than shameful. When will we learn to work together toward a common desire without holding prejudice toward our fellow supporters?

I will say it again, when we protest rising fuel (and other living costs) I will be there to support US.

[edit on 9/6/08 by Rapacity]

reply to post by Nammu


people in the UK would be justified
since labour Party use green tax as excuse to increase tax on fuel.
the basterds dont care as the tax payer pays for their costs so they can screw us over as much as they want

These strikes are beginning to bite (and spread):

High fuel prices spark protests in Asia and Europe



Let's wait and see what happens next.

That's nice of them... they complain that they can't afford to feed their families, so they proceed to disrupt EVERYONE's life to ensure that nobody's family gets fed. Real sympathetic, there. Take note, if and when this happens in this country, I will hold blameless the first good old boy who snaps and plows his truck full speed into a group of these protesters as he's dogging his way home to his wife and kids after being temporarily laid off and left incomeless because the protesters have prevented supplies from reaching his work site. That act won't be his fault because, after all, desperate men do desperate things, right?

burdman30ott6, with the greatest of respect, I understand your point of view but I can't agree with it.

There was a time when I would have agreed with you that it's better to keep your job regardless of the conditions and quality of life it brings. But I've been on the receiving end of poor working conditions. I've worked in conditions that most people would not willingly attempt to work within i.e unless some other force compelled it. I've defended and fought for the rights of my fellow workers, in a foreign land, knowing damn well that I was the only English guy fighting for better conditions for his fellow English workers. I won for them but at the cost of my own position. I would do it again regardless of support from others. There comes a time when one says enough is enough.

The fear that people feel about losing their jobs when they stand up and protest for better conditions is the greatest force that keeps people under thumb. When people act as a group, they reverse the hold of power. They force change.

The protesters in Spain and other places are not protesting because they want to, they are doing it because they have to. They can't afford to live because their jobs do not pay enough.

They ferry goods around the roads. If they are unable to do their jobs then those goods do not get to where they are supposed to go. If you couldn't afford to live reasonably yet the work you did afforded others to live comfortably, wouldn't you do something? Don't for one minute believe they didn't talk about their problems first because they will have done.

People often want the benefits of the acts of a few but are unwilling to show support by following suit. Our living costs will only continue to get worse unless we force governments and civil servants to stop wasting our money. The only real way to stop them from wasting our money is by forcing them to stop taking so much of our money from us by taxation. If you know of a better way, then please do tell us. Many people are waiting for an answer.

Anyway, I'm off to carry on drinking now...

I don't get it, why smash the windsheilds and headlights of delivery vehicles coming in. This smacks of government boogeymen inciting trouble for marshall law

Destroying anything won't help.

When the system goes bad, we must build alternatives.

[edit on 10-6-2008 by ianr5741]

reply to post by Peepers


They're protecting their patch. To gain maximum benefit of the strike/protest they have to prevent external (non-national) imports from entering the nation otherwise they would be winning only half their battle hence their desired outcome would be longer coming if at all - their government would be able to say: "You see, we can still carry on without you."

reply to post by Rapacity


Not to sound stupid.

What is a windscreen?

reply to post by Rockpuck


I believe you call it a windshield in the States?

For UK members; there is a four day strike by left wing lunatic unions starting Friday. Expect major problems. The unions want a 16% pay increase from the oil companies, even though none of them work for the likes of Shell

Violent protest solves nothing.

The U.K strike is by oil tanker drivers. They might be saying they're doing it because of rising fuel costs but I've heard it is more to do with an internal pay dispute - they asked for more and were told "ya not getting any."

As for "left-wing loonies" that is the exact comment that makes me ashamed to be in Britain - 1, "left-wing loonies" are loonies and have seriously hindered the development of the U.K and the liberties of the people still in the U.K; 2, because, anyone (or group) who fights for betterment is called a "left-wing loony" by those whom fear the common man standing with other common men (and women) to defend their liberties. When will people view people and actions according to merit and not fear?

To ensure their is no doubt: I, personally, am not left-wing; neither am I right-wing; I am appropriate.

Just an update on the situation in Spain:

Two truck drivers die as fuel protests spread across Europe



I hope the situation is resolved before any other lives are lost.