Last remain truck roadblocks in Campania removed

(ANSA) - ROME, 23 OTT - The last remaining roadblocks set up by truck drivers and farmers on Campania's highways to protest against soaring fuel prices were removed overnight in the Caserta and Salerno areas. The roadblocks were part of protests that had been taking place in many parts of southern Italy over the last week, causing major disruption for businesses, several of which were on the brink of having to halt production, and empty supermarket shelves and market stalls. Truckers in Calabria, the initial hotbed of the protests, and Sicily stopped their roadblocks earlier this week. As a result of the removal of the roadblocks in Campania, supermarkets were gradually restocking and returning to normal on Friday, but many gas stations were still out of fuel and there were long queues outside those that were open. With the situation getting critical, Premier Giorgia Meloni's government took a hard line on Wednesday, when the interior ministry said 1,339 individuals had been identified and 71 reported to authorities over the road blockades. Meloni's cabinet approved a package of aid for the road haulage, agriculture, and fishing sectors on Thursday. But the premier also stressed the government would not tolerate the road blocks any longer. "We will use all the tools the law provides, including the provisions of the security decree that have made blocking roads a criminal offence," she said. "This government fully respects those who wish to demonstrate and listens to those seeking help, provided they follow the rules. "However, we also have a duty to ensure that the laws of the State are upheld and we refuse to be blackmailed by those who use violence as a means of exerting pressure". (ANSA).
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