Water-charges protest organiser: It was peaceful
One of the organisers of yesterday's protest against water charges in south west Dublin said the event passed off peacefully and was in no way anarchic.
The protest - involving up to 1,000 people - saw the Tánaiste Joan Burton trapped in her car for more than two hours after she left a public engagement in Jobstown.
She was initially met by a peaceful protest, which quickly escalated into tense scenes.
Earlier, Senator Katherine Zaqppone
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However, Paul Murphy from the Anti Austerity Alliance said the protest was not as fraught as people have said.
"It was peaceful," he said. "It certainly was the case that (Joan Burton) was blocked in her car for a period of time and then there was a negotiated exit.
"There were a few eggs being thrown by people who were not really participating in the protest and the residents were repeatedly asking people not to engage in that kind of thing."
He also said: "I was there at the time Joan Burton got into the car. It's true that for two or three minutes there was some banging on the car. I don't think that counts as violence. Joan Burton was inside the car. She was safe.
"That then stopped and we then had a sit-down protest that was entirely peaceful."
