In Dublin, an estimated 1,500, largely maskless, protestors gathered at the Custom House, on the River Liffey holding anti-vaccine signs and chanting "freedom", "shame on you" among others. They held signs with anti-lockdown, anti-vaccine passports and other messages and flags were flown including the Irish tricolor and those of Poland and the United States.
The crowd marched to the Government Buildings on Merrion Street Upper where speeches took place speaking out against Covid passports being rolled out for indoor dining and international travel.
The Digital Covid Certificate will be used across the European Union to facilitate free travel for those who are vaccinated. They will also now be used by fully vaccinated people to access indoor dining services, from Mon, July 26.
An anti-vaccine protester told the crowd: "If people are coming to your door then you have to protect yourself from the needle because it's coming and they are coming for your kids," RTE reported.
They added that the vaccine program was "genocide".
Read more
A large police presence was maintained at the Dublin protest, including public order unit vans as well as garda prison vans on standby. A Garda representative told TheJournal.ie "An Garda Síochána will adopt the approach of the Four Es which will see Gardaí engage, explain, encourage, and as a last resort, enforce."
They also noted that the event passed without incident.
In Belfast, a similar protest took place with hundreds marching through the city. They marched to the Botanic Gardens where a number of speeches took place.
Similar protests took place around the world on Saturday. In Sydney and Melbourne demonstrations took place with violent clashes with police breaking out in Sydney.
In France, far-right activists and members of the country’s yellow vest movement protested against a new bill requiring everyone to have a special virus pass to enter restaurants and other venues and mandating Covid-19 vaccinations for all health care workers.
Comments