04 June 2004
The spectre of protests over the price of fuel came nearer this week as a Durham farmer involved in the 2000 demonstrations planned a go-slow.
Andrew Spence said that a slow-moving convoy of vehicles would crawl through Newcastle on June 9, the day before local elections, to coincide with other demonstrations expected to take place.
'If it brings the city to a standstill, it will show the government that there are people out there who are dissatisfied,' he said.
With international petrol rises driving fuel at the pumps towards £1 a litre, and a 1.92p per litre rise in duty due to come into effect on September 1, Conservative leader Michael Howard seemed to offer qualified support for protesters.
On a visit to Gloucester, Howard said: 'I can understand that people might be very angry indeed if the government were to proceed with an increase in fuel duty at this time — it would cause great hardship to many people.'
'I would entirely understand if they wanted to protest peacefully and within the law.'
During the 2000 fuel protests, oil refineries were picketed to prevent the delivery of supplies to petrol stations. A rush for fuel caused chaos at garages.
PFjun2004
