As the bank holiday Monday became the early hours of Tuesday, a tense stand-off began at the gates of Kildare Chilling. At 1am, a livestock lorry with Northern Ireland plates drove up to the gates in the dark. The picketing farmers moved in front of it to explain what the Beef Plan Movement protest was about. The driver showed little interest in engaging in conversation and appeared intent on pushing through to the factory. Some of the protesting farmers were near boiling point. They maintain a number of vehicles had earlier driven through their pickets aggressively and dangerously. Nervous of what might happen now, one of the protesters called the gardaí.
As the bank holiday Monday became the early hours of Tuesday, a tense stand-off began at the gates of Kildare Chilling. At 1am, a livestock lorry with Northern Ireland plates drove up to the gates in the dark. The picketing farmers moved in front of it to explain what the Beef Plan Movement protest was about. The driver showed little interest in engaging in conversation and appeared intent on pushing through to the factory.
Some of the protesting farmers were near boiling point. They maintain a number of vehicles had earlier driven through their pickets aggressively and dangerously. Nervous of what might happen now, one of the protesters called the gardaí.
The next hour saw vigorous conversation between three gardaí and the farmer protesters. The garda in charge said he accepted that farmers were making no money from beef. Farmers had a right to peaceful protest, he said, but not to break any laws. He would not tolerate any unlawful behaviour. The farmers continued to argue that they were entitled to protest as they were doing.
The discussions between the gardaí and protesters grew heated at stages, although never disrespectful.
Garda: “Don’t go getting yourselves imprisoned or a criminal record.”
Farmer: “Sure we’re not going off on any holidays anyway. And we’re not planning on going to the US or Australia.”
Garda: “If I decide I can have you all taken out of here in the space of an hour.”
Farmer: “No, we won’t be gone because there’ll be more of us here.”
Garda: “Well, where are they now? They’re in their beds.”
This went on until well after 2am while the engine of the livestock truck idled. Its driver and his companions avoided all eye contact, studying their mobile phones. In the end, neither the gardaí nor the protesters had to back down. The gardaí became concerned about the driving licences of the lorry driver and began inquiries. The driver then indicated he had changed his mind and drove off into the darkness with his sheep.
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