Oct 4, 2000 - 07:54 PM

Truckers Block Roads as Gas Prices Fuel European Demonstrations

The Associated Press

MADRID, Spain (AP) - Truck drivers blocked roads and snarled traffic in parts of several European countries Wednesday, in a continuing protest against the increasing price of fuel.

Europe has seen a slew of protests in recent weeks as oil prices have risen above $30 per barrel, with truckers, farmers and fishermen complaining that high fuel taxes are squeezing them out of business. While the wave of demonstrations that brought chaos to France, Britain and other northern European countries last month has died down, the protest movement has spread to other parts of the continent.

In Sicily on Wednesday, supermarket shelves stood bare of fresh food and a Fiat factory was forced to shut for lack of parts as a three-day-old protest by truckers grounded much of the southern Italian island.

Lack of fuel forced most gas stations to close and public transportation to cut services.

Truckers have blocked main roads and ports there since Monday and threaten to keep up their protest for the whole week.

In Spain, truckers agreed Wednesday to end a three-day strike, which has clogged borders with France and Portugal. The drivers accepted a haulage fee increase and other concessions, a government spokeswoman said.

Earlier, some 2,300 trucks blocked the Spanish-French border at La Junquera for a third day while others closed the border at Irun in the Basque country as well as crossings to Portugal.

In Romania, a convoy of about 100 horn-blaring vehicles clogged traffic in the capital, Bucharest. The protesters - driving trucks, taxis, buses and other vehicles - demanded a reduction in taxes to soften the rise in gasoline prices.

The protests have spread despite the wide range in fuel prices across Europe.

In Greece, which has the lowest fuel prices in the European Union, striking fishermen blocked several ports, including Athens' main port of Piraeus, on Wednesday.

Across the continent, it is the issue of government fuel tax that has raised the protesters' ire.

In Copenhagen, 55 Danish trucks briefly circled the downtown parliament building Wednesday as they called on politicians to cut fuel taxes.

But Denmark's tax chief said lowering fuel taxes would be "unwise."

"We would like to give a helping hand to truckers, but we will not lower the taxes," said Ole Stavad.

"If we do it, if other countries do it, it would be an invitation to the oil sheiks that they can demand more" money for a barrel of oil, he added.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAF9QWNXDC.html

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), October 04, 2000