Protest activity has caused disruption in Dublin as anti-immigration demonstrators and anti-racism activists staged rival events across the city.
A least one man was arrested as Irish flag-waving protesters objecting to Government immigration policies staged a sit-down demonstration on O’Connell Bridge late on Thursday afternoon.
Earlier, the rival groups had gathered in the area close to the Dáil. Barriers erected by gardaí prevented any protest activity in the immediate vicinity of the Leinster House building.
Events began around 2pm at the GPO on O’Connell Street as hundreds of people assembled for the start of the anti-immigration demonstration.
People carried Irish tricolours, “Erin Go Bragh” banners and flags displaying the slogan “You’ll Never Beat the Irish”.
The group broke out in chants of “Irish Lives Matter”, “Whose streets? Our streets” and “Get them out, get them out”.
The anti-immigration protesters then walked through Dublin city towards the Dáil.
A group of anti-racism activists assembled at the bottom of Grafton Street and there were tense scenes as the rival protest passed by, with a line of gardaí creating a human chain between them.
The anti-immigration campaigners continued towards to Dáil and assembled halfway down Molesworth Street facing Leinster House, with Garda barriers preventing them from getting close to the gates of the parliament building.
More than a hundred anti-racism counter-demonstrators relocated close by, at the junction of Dawson Street and Molesworth Street. Participants were loudly chanting “far-right loyalists, get off our streets”.
Dozens of gardaí were in the area between the demonstrations to ensure rival protesters were kept apart, with Garda Public Order Units deployed to the scene.
The two groups dispersed from the area around the Dáil shortly afterwards and set off separately in the direction of O’Connell Street.
The anti-racism march made its way over O’Connell Bridge and up O’Connell Street shortly before the anti-immigration activists gathered and commenced their sit-down demonstration.
There were angry scenes at the sit-down with several of the protesters confronting and verbally abusing the attending gardaí.
