Irish police clear Dublin streets of people protesting vs. high fuel prices

DUBLIN - Irish police cleared tractors and trucks on Sunday that had been blocking traffic in central Dublin for five days in a protest against surging fuel prices as the government moves to limit the economic fallout from a wave of blockades.

Protesters, angered by a more than 20% rise in diesel prices since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, this week used tractors and trucks to block an oil refinery, two ports, a fuel terminal and a number of roads around the country.

The protests caused major transport disruption in Dublin and left about a third of the petrol stations in the country without fuel, creating what Finance Minister Simon Harris described as a "very dangerous moment" for the country.

Police on Saturday cleared the blockade from the country's only oil refinery and on Sunday said they had started an operation to clear a blockade of Galway Port.

The government has refused to negotiate with the protesters, who included farmers, drivers and contractors. But it is holding talks with agricultural and transport industry groups about measures to alleviate fuel cost hikes.

A poll in the Sunday Independent newspaper showed that 56% of voters surveyed supported the protesters, but that most supporters of the two governing parties opposed them.

-Conor Humphries; Editing by David Holmes/Reuters