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A traffic management plan has been organised with gardaí.

Protesters stationed on the M7 motorway have announced plans for a solidarity march this afternoon, to allow the public to show their support for the demonstrations against rising fuel costs.

Organisers confirmed that they intend to use a section of the motorway as a makeshift car park to accommodate expected supporters.

Speaking to Live 95 news, Darren, a protester stationed at Junction 29, described the scene as “humbling,” reporting that they have been “inundated” with food and supplies.

“People are arriving with sandwiches, food, hot food. It’s actually unbelievable,” he said. “Next thing, someone decided, ‘Let’s do a march’, and they put it out on Facebook.”

To manage the influx, protesters have coordinated a traffic plan in which supporters will be guided by high-vis marshals to park directly on the motorway lanes.

“We’ll have all the lads here with high-vis vests, guiding people down along and down in front of our protest, and people will park their cars. So we are actually using the motorway as a car park. It’s Ireland’s biggest car park for one day.”

Despite the radical nature of the protest, organisers insist they are working to ensure public safety. A key priority remains keeping the hard shoulder clear for emergency services.

“We are not animals,” Darren emphasised. “We all have mothers and fathers in hospitals… It’s vitally important to keep the hard shoulder open.”

The group says they have been in communication with local gardaí to ensure the march’s safety, which is expected to begin between 2 pm and 3 pm.

The march comes as the government meets in Dublin to discuss a financial relief package. 

However, protesters on the ground expressed deep scepticism and “disheartening” frustration after their own representatives were barred from official talks yesterday.

With one-third of the country’s filling stations now reportedly out of fuel, the pressure on both the government and the protesters to reach an agreement is reaching a fever pitch. 

When asked if the group would continue as fuel supplies dwindle further, the sentiment from the M7 was resolute.

“I don’t think we can go back now,” Darren stated, highlighting a disconnect between the government’s negotiations with established representatives and the hauliers actually manning the blockades.

While first responders are reportedly still able to refuel at local stations, the general public faces a weekend of increasing scarcity as the M7 standoff shows no signs of slowing down.
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