High energy costs trigger unrest in parts of Europe

High energy costs are stoking unrest in parts of Europe

High energy costs are stoking unrest in parts of Europe, with Spain deploying more than 23,000 police officers amid a truckers’ strike Friday and farmers in France and Greece snarling traffic with their protests.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has further pushed up costs for oil and natural gas in Europe, driving record inflation and making it ever more expensive for farmers and truckers to fuel their equipment and vehicles, afford fertilizer or keep up with other costs. In Europe, which is dependent on Russian oil and natural gas, the war worsened an energy supply crunch that has driven up costs for households and businesses for months.

A group of mostly self-employed Spanish truckers walked off the job days ago over high fuel prices and other grievances, and it's devolved into attacks as most drivers continue working. Police in patrol cars and helicopters escorted convoys of trucks along highways and held back picketers Friday, seeking to ensure products like dairy and cement keep moving as some sectors reported supply problems on the fifth day of the strike.

Picketers threw burning tires onto a highway overnight in northwestern Spain, national media reported. Police made at least two arrests. Striking truckers also have been accused of throwing rocks at trucks that are still working this week, tearing cargo tarps, puncturing truck tires and threatening working drivers with violence.