Conor McCabe: Protesters' grievances are real — they're bearing a heavy load

Responsibility for the time-sensitive targets at the heart of national policy is carried by agricultural contractors who are struggling to make repayments on loans for the necessary heavy machinery, and whose fuel bills may tip them over the edge

Protesters in Tralee, Co. Kerry, on Sunday. In choosing to block roads and depots, the contractors sidestepped their greatest leverage: their position as a critical chokepoint within the grass-fed system. Photo: Dominick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD

Although they don't appear to be over yet, commentary on the fuel protests is already beginning to focus on images circulating on social media of those at the fringes, in particular the far-right.

This is unfortunate, as the pressures faced by those at the heart of the protests are real and need to be addressed. They have deep roots and causes, and speak to systemic issues in the way agricultural goods are produced in Ireland.