I reckon the fuel protesters were alright.
These weren't people who couldn't be arsed to pay an environmental premium because they were tight gits.

These were people who relied on their cars (in the absence of a decent public transport system) and who couldn't afford the high prices of petrol.

Surely until most people have access to an alternative to the car, it's unfair to charge extortionate prices for petrol that people can't afford.