Protesters gathered outside the Dáil on Wednesday, protesting austerity measures being considered by the Irish government.
Gardai, or local police, engaged the protest group, spraying some of the people with pepper spray as the day turned to night, reported the Irish Independent.
Many protesters told the Irish news agency that they’re not members of any Republican groups--there were some protesters affiliated with a group formed to oppose “British rule” in the North--and said they are against austerity “because of their own personal situations.”
“We’re hard-working people but a lot of us are under stress,” said Helen Murray, a single mother.
“I have five daughters, one of them has done a PhD in science and she can’t get a job in this country,” she said.
Mark Griffin said that he lost his carpentry job when the recession hit and said that people are tired of elected officials telling them the country’s economy has improved.
“The whole set up is a disgrace. They’ve just had two or three months holidays and they’re laughing at us, selling us out to Europe,” he said.
The Dáil Éireann is the lower house of the Irish Parliament.
