PEOPLE WHO MISTOOK anti-water charge protesters for No campaigners in the same-sex marriage referendum allegedly called the group “f***ing homophobe b**ards”.

John Donovan, a member of a protest group from Ballyphehane in Cork, said he and others have been getting negative attention from members of the public who think they are against same-sex marriage.

Donovan rang the Neil Prendeville Show on Red FM to clear up the misunderstanding.

He said the group sometimes wear high-vis jackets with ‘No’ imprinted on them in large letters.

“We are getting dog’s abuse off people because when they see the ‘No’ they’re confusing it with the referendum.”

Last night now it got a bit hairy because there were people stopping in cars and roaring out the window: ‘You f***ing homophobe b**ards’.

Donovan said this was “taking it a bit too far”.

He added that when the group distributes leaflets members of the public are reluctant to them until they realise the protesters have nothing to do with the referendum.

Donovan said people “calm down a bit” when they hear the group is anti-water charges.

In terms of the referendum, he said both sides are entitled to campaign.

“All politicians are pushing this the one way. People who want to vote no feel that they’re almost being pushed against the wall,” Donovan said.

“I’m voting yes myself, completely,” he added, noting he thinks it’s “going to come down to the wire”.

Read more on the marriage referendum:

Here’s what’s in the defaced poster dossier the No campaign are handing to gardaí

Some older gay people are ‘excruciatingly lonely’ and ‘struggle to exist’