REPUBLICAN RALLIES:GARDAÍ WERE involved in a stand-off in Dublin city centre last night with a crowd of several hundred protesting at Queen Elizabeth's state visit.
Some protesters clashed with lines of gardaí on the edge of an exclusion zone around Dublin Castle for last night’s State dinner.
Protesters hurled bottles, cans of beer, bangers and fireworks as they were blocked from marching past Christ Church on to Dame Street and towards Dublin Castle.
Most in the crowd were men in their late teens and early 20s, some of whom covered their faces. There were at least five arrests and some 30 demonstrators with 32 County Sovereignty Committee flags were corralled by gardaí into a corner close to Christ Church.
A group of about 150 from the committee rallied in the area from 5.30pm, before marching up to gardaí at the junction of Dame Street and Fishamble Street.
The group then walked towards Thomas Street, where they met about 150 protesters from republican socialist group Éirígí.
Gardaí pushed protesters back from the junction of High Street and Nicholas Street as they began throwing bricks and stones. Some gardaí drew batons on Nicholas Street. There were at least five arrests as uniformed gardaí penned some of the protesters into a corner near Bride Street.
Some Éirígí protesters stayed on and were still engaged in a stand-off with gardaí last night.
