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Fuel protesters will take to the streets
Page 6
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Pressure group Transaction 2007 is going it alone with protests planned at refineries and storage depots this weekend. Dylan Gray reports.
AS CM WENT to press, Pressure groupTransaction 2007 announced plans for fuel protests to take place on Saturday 15 December at 10am.
The group's websi te. www.transaction-2407.com,says:"Transaction 2007 has decided to release the date and time of protest action earlier than scheduled. This is to enable the motorist and public to better prepare themselves for the coming action. This will be a nationwide protest extending to Northern and Southern Ireland.
"A date of Saturday 15 December 2007 at 10am has been decided for protest action... as the best possible to enable those who would normally be working during the week to attend.This action will be initiated at a refinery or storage depot somewhere near you. Anyone wishing to support this action is requested to make your way there at the allotted time.Transacti on again wish to emphasise the importance of legal protesting."
Transaction had claimed it was worki:)2,vii the Road Haulage Associat:; ;: ad referred to "all 10.000 RHA/ Transaction 2007 members". This prompted the RHA to distance itself from Transaction 2007 by saying:-The Road Haulage Association feels it necessary to make a number of urgent points concerning... the pressure group call ing itself Transaction 2007. The RHA is not 'in association with' the pressure group... The expressions used such as `RHA/TransacLion 2007 members' are highly misleading, implying a relationship which does not exist.
"The RHA has never been involved in negotiations with Transaction 2007 but has, as a matter of courtesy, held discussions with RHA members who are also part of the pressure group.
-The RHA will always support members who wish to protest legally where members have expressed that wish through the RHA regional organisation.
"Comments within Transaction 2007 suggesting that legal and peaceful protests would produce no results and that more direct action should be taken are unacceptable."
Transaction 2007 founder Mike Presneill says: -All updates will now come from the Transaction 2007 website." But he declines to comment on the RHA statement.
No RHA members have contacted the association for support in local legal protests despite Transaction's call for protests this weekend. Neither has Transaction approached the RHA with its plans, according to spokeswoman Kate Gibbs. "It does not surprise us that members have not requested support. Only about 2% of them were in favour of protest," she says. "We all want something doing about fuel duty but we maintain that taking to the streets is not the way to achieve it."
The Freight Transport Association is taking a similar position; director of external affairs Geoff Dossetter says:"We remain opposed to any form of direct action. We believe it could be counter-productive and alienate the public.
• For more information log onto our Fuel Protests page atwww.roadtransport.cornifuelprotest.html