European leaders are struggling to defuse growing anger over soaring fuel prices, as fisherman and truck drivers staged protests in several countries, with more strikes planned in coming days.The protests came as French President Nicolas Sarkozy called for a Europe-wide cut in oil taxes to help consumers and European ministers appealed for direct EU economic aid to help the hard-hit fishing industry.Fishermen and truck drivers were in the vanguard of the protests across western Europe over rising fuel costs, amid recent record global oil prices over 130 dollars a barrel.French riot police cleared blockading fishermen from an oil depot at Fos-sur-Mer near Marseille, but off the north coast of France, fishing fleets resumed blockades of ports and cross-Channel ferries over high fuel prices.