Gardaí have kept apart two opposing protests – involving anti- and pro-immigration demonstrators – in Dublin city centre.
Around 500 people gathered on O’Connell Street for a march – organised by a group calling itself Citizens of Éire – to Leinster House.
Many of them were holding Irish flags. Protesters chanted “get them out” and “whose streets, our streets”.
Banners saying ‘Thornton Hall says no’ and ‘Newtown says no’ were also visible.
There have been protests in both places against plans to accommodate International Protection applicants.
As the march made its way to Leinster House, it passed a smaller counter protest at the bottom of Grafton Street, organised by the United Against Racism group.
The two sides hurled insults and chanted at each other but a line of gardaí, mostly from the Public Order Unit, separated them.
Gardaí intervened again on Dawson Street to keep the two sides apart before the anti-immigration group reached its destination on Molesworth Street where it demonstrated before the protesters left the area.
Some the demonstrators are now blocking O’Connell Bridge and traffic is blocked in both directions.
