WATCH: Digger used in Laois fuel protest blockade on key M7 junction near Portlaoise

Fuel protesters in Laois have not completely sealed off the important M7 Junction 17 roundabout near Portlaoise, but they have made access to the busy motorway virtually inaccessible.

The J17 roundabout intersects with the N77 Portlaoise to Kilkenny route, which the protestors have allowed the vehicles to use. However, they have ensured that access to the motorway, which links the cities of Cork, Limerick and Dublin, is almost impossible. 

When the Leinster Express / Laois Live visited the scene on Friday, April 10, vehicles were parked on the J17 exit and entry points on the motorway and the roundabout. A digger was among the vehicles deployed. 

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Several trucks, vans, tractors and cars have been parked on the curtilage of the roundabout itself. 

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Apart from the vehicles, there is a constant substantial presence of protestors on the roundabout in vans and in the nearby Portlaoise Plaza.