Witnesses said the driver of a 7.5-tonne vehicle forced protesters to retreat as he tried to break into Cairnryan Ferry. The man is said to have shouted at activists as his truck tried to break their line at the port entrance, during the incident, which took place around 14.55 on Friday. Police have since confirmed that a 61-year-old man has been charged with traffic offenses. Did you know that you can stay up to date with the latest news by subscribing to our daily newsletter? We send out a newsletter in the morning and at noon that covers the latest headlines every day. We also send updates for the coronavirus at 5 p.m. weekdays and a collection of stories to read on weekday Sunday afternoons. Registration is simple, easy and free. You can display your email address in the registration box above, click Register and we will do the rest. Alternatively, you can sign up and view the rest of our newsletters here. One witness said: “The protesters arrived at 14:00 in two buses. They prevented everyone from entering, standing like a wall of people opposite the entrance. “A truck driver tried to pass with a piston. He led them to try to break the line. He shouted at the protesters who had to return. Eventually he stopped and one of the RMT guys went to talk to him. “The police came and the driver left.” About 70 protesters gathered to block traffic on P&O’s Cairnryan ferry in Larne. The Dumfries and Galloway service to Northern Ireland was due to depart at 4 p.m. Union bosses hailed the blockade as a success with the ship sailing “half empty”. The demonstration was organized by the RMT union in the wake of the replacement of almost 800 employees by P&O with cheaper staff. Upload video Video is not available Click to play Click to play The video will play automatically soon8Cancel Play now The mass layoffs sparked outrage among unions, politicians and the general public. Prior to the blockade, RMT said it “could not allow the redundancies to be challenged” and urged passengers not to travel by ship. Demonstrations also took place in Larne on Friday on the other side of the two-hour crossing. Receive all of Scotland’s top political news sent directly to your Inbox by subscribing to our Policy Newsletter. We cover Holyrood, Westminster and local councils, focusing on how our governments handle the coronavirus pandemic. To sign up, just enter your email address in the pink box near the top of this article. Alternatively, you can visit the registration center in our newsletter. Once there, enter your email address and select Politics and any other Daily subscription newsletters you are interested in. At 2:30 p.m., RMT Scotland wrote on Twitter: “RMT and trade union activists are blocking the entrance to Cairnryan Harbor to protest P&O ferries. “It’s time for P&O to address the consequences of laying off 800 seafarers in the UK. “Nothing inside. Nothing outside.” The European Causeway is at a dock in Larne after the boat lost power on Tuesday. Read more related articles The union later said the blockade had a “huge impact” and that “P&O Ferries’ ship of shame sailed half empty”. Speaking on the blockade, RMT regional organizer Gordon Martin said it was a protest against the “robber capitalists” at the P&O. He promised that the protesters would return to make further blockades “on a rolling basis”. On Tuesday, a P&O ferry lost power in the Irish Sea while crossing the Cairnryan in Larne. Lifeboats and tugs were launched from Larne and Belfast to drive the European Causeway to port. The drama came just two days after P&O resumed two ferry services for the first time since announcing the job cuts in March. A Scottish police spokesman said: “Police were informed of a demonstration in Cairnryan around 2pm on Friday, April 29, 2022. “During the protest, a 61-year-old man was charged with road violations. “A report has been submitted to the Finance Prosecutor.”
