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Guardia Civil holding protesting lorry drivers hostage across Spain
By h.b. - Jun 16, 2008 - 7:33 AM

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Self-employed lorry drivers were trying to gather to protest in Madrid, but are being intercepted by the Guardia Civil outside the Spanish capital.

An unknown number of lorries departed from different points of Spain last night to meet and demonstrate in Madrid ‘for the amount of time necessary’. The demonstrators, who continue to be unhappy at the increased costs of diesel, say they will continue a series of protests if the Government refuses to meet with them today.

However, many of the lorry drivers have found their journey interrupted by the Guardia Civil who have set up a special plan to keep them from reaching Madrid.

The lorry drivers are members of the Platform for the Defence of Transport and set off at 5pm on Sunday evening from 42 Spanish provinces. President of the group in Asturias, Manuel Núñez said they intended to stay in Madrid until they reach ‘the principles of an agreement’ with the Ministry for Development, in their demand for minimum obligatory tariffs and that their diesel costs rise no more for the next six months.

But this morning there are reports that about 300 lorries are being held at Benavente outside the capital and in other places across the country.

President of the UITA, the Independent Self Employed Drivers Union, José Fernández, said that his drivers were suffering ‘a kidnap scenario’, given that their vehicles had been immobilised and removed from the motorway to rest areas and service stations.
He said that unloaded lorries were being targeted by the Guardia Civil in their action.

The new protest puts in doubt the Government’s claims that things would be back to normal by today.

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