Protesters bring gallows to demonstration outside Leinster House

Protesters took mock gallows and photographs of high-profile politicians to a demonstration outside Leinster House as the Dail returned following the summer recess.

The gallows, which featured an effigy of a man hanging from a noose, was adorned with portraits of politicians including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald.

Images of enterprise minister Simon Coveney, education minister Norma Foley and minister for children Roderic O’Gorman also accompanied the display.

Depictions of opposition TDs including Eoin O Broin from Sinn Fein and Solidarity-People Before Profit deputies Paul Murphy and Brid Smith also featured.

Around 200 people gathered outside Leinster House, where the main entrance was fenced off by gardai, on Wednesday as part of what has become a traditional day of protest for the return of the Dail session.

Far-right protesters shouted various chants against transgender rights, migration and planned hate speech laws.

Politicians and journalists entering the Leinster House premises were called “traitors” by the gathered crowd.

Demonstrators held signs featuring slogans such as “Irish lives matter” and “Ballybrack says no”.

Earlier this year, several gardai responded to the Ballybrack area as groups of anti-migrant protesters damaged a building they did not want to be repurposed for refugees.

Outside Leinster House on Wednesday, the protesters regularly chanted: “You’ll never beat the Irish.”

Two men have been arrested under the public order act and charged to appear in court.

The nearby National Library of Ireland shut as a result of the protest.