AN ESTIMATED 5,000 people from across the country travelled to city centre Dublin today to participate in a protest against the €100 household charge.

Protesters from across Ireland included demonstrators from the Donegal Action Against Austerity group, who had walked from Malin Head to Dublin in protest at the charge, and who featured on last night’s Late Late Show.

The demonstration began at about 1:30pm, with busloads of further volunteers joining in at around 2pm, gathering around the National Convention Centre where Fine Gael’s Árd-Fheis is continuing.

A security cordon was put in place by Gardaí, who eyewitnesses said intervened on a number of occasions as protestors tried to gain access to the Fine Gael event.

RTÉ said one man who resembled environment minister Phil Hogan, whose department is responsible for the charge, had to be assisted by Gardaí after being confronted by demonstrators mistaking him for the minister.

Gardaí said there had been no reports of any major public order disturbances, and that no arrests had been made.