First published 9 am
LARGE CROWDS OF anti-water-charge campaigners braved some torrential rain in Dublin city to state that they are ‘not going away’.
At the peak of today’s demonstration, a densely packed crowd stretched from a stage at the Spire on O’Connell Street down to Abbey Street.
More protesters listened to the speeches from further away with Right2Water’s Brendan Ogle introducing various speakers.
It’s the fifth major protest day organised by Right2Water, the umbrella anti-charges group made up of community organisations, unions and left-wing political parties.
Marchers gathered at Heuston and Connolly Stations and proceeded to the Spire where speeches began after 3pm.
There was loud cheers as various speakers made reference to protests ‘not going away’.
Among the politicians who spoke were United Left TD Joan Collins and Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald TD.
Sixteen-year-old activist Jamie Harrington also spoke to the crowd with Ogle saying that the teenager knows more about what’s going on in the the country than “an entire fucking cabinet”.
Heavy rain showers shortly before 4pm sent hundreds running for shelter and some some heading home. The heavy rain was followed by thunder as the rain worsened.
The Right2Water campaign say that the numbers at the march demonstrated that the campaign to abolish water charges was continuing.
“The Right2Water campaign will continue until that objective is achieved,” the campaign said this evening.
- With reporting by Rónán Duffy
In pics and videos: Huge turnout for latest ‘Right2Water’ rally
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