The scale of the disruption caused by the fuel protests is a stark warning not simply to the Government but also to Irish society about the fragile nature of democracy when it is confronted by opponents who don’t feel bound by accepted conventions.

In recent decades there has been an increasing tolerance for protesters of all stripes from far right to far left who block major roads or vital bridges and cause serious disruption to people trying to go about their daily lives.

In most cases, those organising conventional protests try to balance the need to publicly air their grievances with the rights of others. It is why most big demonstrations are timed for weekends when the disruption will be least.

However, there has been a growing tendency in recent years for ad hoc groups to go beyond trying to put pressure on the Government of the day and instead challenge the authority of the State by deliberately creating public disorder. It is no coincidence that the most disruptive protests attract support from the far right and the far left in equal measure.

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Foxrock........

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