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Heavy garda presence as water protesters march on RTÉ

A number of campaigners have accused the national broadcaster of bias against the protest movement in recent months.

Updated 7.43pm

water protest - RTE . Pictured Water p Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

GROUPS PROTESTING THE imposition of water charges staged a march to the RTÉ campus in Donnybrook today.

Pictures show around 150 people taking part in the demonstration, as gardaí and security guards look on.

The event has been planned via closed Facebook groups over the last number of weeks.

water protest - RTE . Pictured Water p Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

water protest - RTE . Pictured a heavy

A number of campaigners have accused the national broadcaster of bias against the anti- water charges movement over recent months.

At a march in December, an RTÉ van was daubed with the word ‘lies’.

There was also some criticism of Ryan Tubridy’s Late Late Show interview with Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy last month – with some viewers saying the presenter’s approach was over-the-top.

Today’s march began near Donnybrook, proceeding along a stretch of dual carriageway towards Montrose.

water protest - RTE . Pictured (LtoR) Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

water protest - RTE . Pictured a heavy Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Protesters formed a motorcade to travel to the city centre after the RTÉ protest, which passed off peacefully

Another demonstration, in support of the water protesters jailed last month for breaking a court injunction, then took place – from O’Connell Street to Mountjoy Prison.

First published 6 March 18.53pm.

Read: Amid “fascist” claims, Dublin City Council wants jailed water protesters released

Read: The story of ‘NO’ … 15 moments that have defined the Irish Water protest movement

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    Mute David Dickson
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    Mar 11th 2018, 1:59 PM

    Oh I would hate to be one of two that voted against it. Have they done their Wills?

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    Mute Brian Ó Dálaigh
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    Mar 11th 2018, 3:15 PM

    @David Dickson: it’s possible they were ordered to do so to give some (albeit minuscule) level of credence to the vote.

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Mar 11th 2018, 2:07 PM

    The Chinese Communist party have been very clever since the death of Mao. Ditching the hard line Marxist/Leninist economic policy for free market economics while retaining political power. The Chinese population have been ruled over by Emperors for thousands of years so this is just continuing in the same vain. For the average citizen once they can have their little luxuries and a chance to have have few quid they don’t care who is in charge.

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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Mar 11th 2018, 2:24 PM

    @Mick Jordan
    Largely agree.
    In Ireland during the celtic Tiger we kept voting in FF but when the crash came they were out and FG got hit to an extent in 2016 but now as the economy rises, so does FF FG in the polls.
    As long as the Chinese economy keeps growing the leadership are fine but when the crash eventually happens, combine that with a more educated population and no democratic way of removal, there could be real trouble.

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello.
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    Mar 11th 2018, 5:52 PM

    @P.J. Nolan: Go on, mention Irish Water as well. You k ow you want to. In fact, why not go for the hat trick and bring Denis O’Brien into it somehow.

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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Mar 11th 2018, 8:26 PM

    @Neal Ireland Hello.:
    What are you on about?

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    Mute Charles McCarthy
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    Mar 11th 2018, 1:59 PM

    Just another dictator by any other name.

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    Mute Sean Conway
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    Mar 11th 2018, 2:03 PM

    @Charles McCarthy: We have the same here. they’re called FF/FG.

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    Mute Tony Dowling
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    Mar 11th 2018, 2:45 PM

    @Sean Conway: They are elected. Doesnt matter how far in denial you are and how many times you deny it, it doesn’t make it not so.

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    Mute Ricky Spanish
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    Mar 11th 2018, 3:10 PM

    @Sean Conway: No! We have free elections here. Your comment is stunningly ignorant go and f***ing educate yourself about politics before passing stupid comments.

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    Mute DJ François
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    Mar 11th 2018, 3:23 PM

    @Sean Conway: Pathetically glib assertion. You do a disservice to the victims of dictatorships.

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    Mute Sean Conway
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    Mar 11th 2018, 5:47 PM

    @DJ François: Can you see any difference between the two? really?

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    Mute DJ François
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    Mar 11th 2018, 6:16 PM

    @Sean Conway: Don’t be churlish. Thousands have not been disappeared or tortured to death by ff or fg. You really ought to talk to people who have experienced a dictatorship.

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    Mute Sean Conway
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    Mar 11th 2018, 7:28 PM

    @DJ François: Communism is over nearly 30 years and wars under capitalism is getting worse.

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    Mute Martin Byrne
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    Mar 12th 2018, 7:23 AM

    @Sean Conway: we don’t

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    Mute Longlin
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    Mar 11th 2018, 2:38 PM

    No ‘Great bunch of lads’ comment yet. Strange

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    Mute David Dickson
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    Mar 11th 2018, 4:42 PM

    @Longlin: there’s always one.

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Mar 11th 2018, 2:20 PM

    America will have to watch its back ,China is claiming every rock under the sea as their territory to protect its sea outlets ,they think in centuries

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    Mute B9xiRspG
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    Mar 11th 2018, 7:01 PM

    @FlopFlipU: America might have to watch its back with China but the rest of the world has to watch its back with the US

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    Mute Marcus Massey
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    Mar 11th 2018, 3:40 PM

    I’m in China right now and I have to say that the average Chinese doesn’t seem to care. Xi is fairly popular and the masses here are ok with the relative benevolence they perceive themselves to be having. A lifetime president under the CCP or a term limited president under the CCP isn’t going to change the average Chinese life. They’re not getting elections, freedoms what we take for granted back home or an all encompassing welfare state. Life goes on here in Shanghai and elsewhere in China. No difference whatever.

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    Mute alphanautica
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    Mar 11th 2018, 2:28 PM

    There is only one way to Keep America Great.
    Will save the economy billions if they the cancel presidential elections for the term of the Trump Dynasty.

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    Mute Damon16
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    Mar 11th 2018, 4:08 PM

    What’s worrying is that over the next few years the Chinese government are going to harness advances in technology to build a totalitarian police state in the China the likes of which we can barely conceive. They’re already planning the roll out of a ‘citizen score’ that would give or withdraw privileges (such as visas to travel abroad, education etc.) based on a person’s on-line presence, how pro-government they are etc. Scary

    http://www.wired.co.uk/article/chinese-government-social-credit-score-privacy-invasion

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    Mute Ian Walsh
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    Mar 11th 2018, 2:05 PM

    Filthy dictator.

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    Mute John Reid
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    Mar 11th 2018, 5:49 PM

    The two who voted against it were brave, I hope they got their families safely out of the country before the votes were cast.

    It seems a trivial point to make regarding a country that has already long-been a brutal communist dictatorship, but what is the point of having a constitution when it can simply be revised by decree of the politburo, not the people? It’s just a joke, a fig-leaf.

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    Mute Green Olive Catering
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    Mar 11th 2018, 4:32 PM

    Putin…. Are you seeing this?

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    Mute Stonerpug
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    Mar 11th 2018, 9:18 PM

    Sigh…”Ah great bunch of lads!”

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    Mute Liberal Larry
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    Mar 11th 2018, 4:06 PM

    This is just paving the way for Trump to do same.. democracy is dying or maybe even dead. Scary times.

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    Mute Stevie Doran
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    Mar 11th 2018, 11:57 PM

    Putin to do the same next, then Merkal.. the Trump lolz

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    Mute David Murphy
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    Mar 11th 2018, 7:32 PM

    This decision will be a major foot note in history.

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    Mute Will
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    Mar 12th 2018, 9:09 AM

    China is already a totalitarian dictatorship. This just removes any lingering doubt.
    I’m sure the Chinese won’t mind for now as long as the economy holds (tick tock).

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    Mute Jesus Christ
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    Mar 11th 2018, 8:11 PM

    Lunatics.

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    Mute The flute smoker
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    Mar 11th 2018, 3:50 PM
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    Mute Cathal Mullally
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    Mar 11th 2018, 2:19 PM

    So much for socialism.

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