Anti-vaxxers cause traffic chaos as they stage protest in Dublin City centre

The demonstrators met at the Garden of Remembrance at 2pm before making their way to the GPO to protest against Covid restrictions.

Dublin Bus and Luas were hit with delays, and with much of O’Connell street impassable.

Hundreds of people showed up to the protest and marched down O’Connell Street holding banners that read 'Truth & Civil Rights' and 'Protect Children'.

One demonstrator held signs reading 'No to vaccine passports, freedom not fear'.

Many others waved Irish Republican flags and tricolours, while the crowd chanted “where there’s risk there must be choice” and “no discrimination".

“Hands off our kids, simply say no” was printed on another sign, protesting recent news that the Vaccine programme will now be extended to five to 11-year-olds.

Protesters gathered to hold a minute's silence for those who died and were harmed by lockdowns.

Guest speakers at the event accused the government of corruption and trying to control the lives of others. They also claimed anti-Covid measures were worse than the disease.

It comes as NPHET recommended further Covid restrictions in a bid to turn the tide on the current surge of cases.

The Pfizer vaccine has also been approved for use in children, as some new restrictions target curbing the spread of infection among five to 11 year olds.

Today the Department of Health announced there were 4,791 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.

At 8am on Saturday morning, there were 536 patients with Covid-19 in hospitals across Ireland, down 35 since the same time on Friday. 121 of these patients are receiving treatment in ICU, up three since the same time on Friday.

A new strain of the virus, Omicron, has also been detected in Europe. Two cases have been confirmed in the UK with other cases in Belgium and Germany.

Holland currently has 61 suspected cases after two planes of 600 passengers arrived into Amsterdam from the epicentre of the variant in South Africa.