Paul Lawless: Government Blackened Protestors, Called in Army
Paul Lawless accuses the government of refusing to meet protestors while publicly smearing them and escalating tensions. He criticises threats to deploy the army, revoke licences, and labels directed at ministers, and links the row to continuing carbon tax increases.
Paul Lawless says the government declined to engage with protestors but was quick to blacken their name, calling that behaviour provocation rather than leadership. He condemns comments that labelled a minister as far-right and public rhetoric that inflamed the situation.
Lawless details actions he says have added fuel to the fire: threats to call in the army, threats to deploy the public order unit, and warnings about revoking licences. He frames these moves as escalatory and damaging to public trust.
He places responsibility on Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the ghost of the Green Party for incremental increases in the carbon tax. Lawless highlights Minister Alan Dillon's announcement of another carbon tax rise effective on 1 May and argues it comes while businesses and households are struggling.
Lawless urges the government to listen and engage with people rather than punishing or vilifying them. He says investigations and media threats against coverage of the protest are wrong and that policymakers should respond to hardship with dialogue, not provocation.
Accusation of provocation
Paul Lawless says the government declined to engage with protestors but was quick to blacken their name, calling that behaviour provocation rather than leadership. He condemns comments that labelled a minister as far-right and public rhetoric that inflamed the situation.
Escalation of threats
Lawless details actions he says have added fuel to the fire: threats to call in the army, threats to deploy the public order unit, and warnings about revoking licences. He frames these moves as escalatory and damaging to public trust.
Carbon tax and cost pressures
He places responsibility on Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the ghost of the Green Party for incremental increases in the carbon tax. Lawless highlights Minister Alan Dillon's announcement of another carbon tax rise effective on 1 May and argues it comes while businesses and households are struggling.
Demand for engagement
Lawless urges the government to listen and engage with people rather than punishing or vilifying them. He says investigations and media threats against coverage of the protest are wrong and that policymakers should respond to hardship with dialogue, not provocation.
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Transcript
First of all, it is absolutely astounding that you refused to meet the protestors, but yet you were so quick to blacken their name. In fact, every single intervention that this government gave over the past number of days has been to add fuel to the fire. You threatened the army, you threatened the public order unit, you threatened to revoke licences, and you even accused the minister of being far-right. That is not leadership, that is provocation, and it is deeply wrong. And you even called in the army without even engaging with your Fine Gael colleague. And now you are threatening an investigation in the media for daring to even cover this protest. And let me be very clear, this is the policy of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the ghost of the Green Party, to drive up fuel. It is incremental increase after increase in relation to the carbon tax. And Minister Alan Dillon last week, just a few days ago, when businesses were on their knees, outlined to the male media that he was going to increase carbon tax again on the 1st of May. A modest increase is what you said. When the people were struggling, you should be listening to the people, you should be engaging with the people, and you should not be blackening their name.