Crowds gather for immigration protest in Dublin

An anti-immigration protester is moved away from a counter protest by a Garda officer outside the GPO Museum, Dublin. (Evan Treacy/PA)

There was a heavy garda presence at an anti-immigration protest through Dublin city on Monday.

Up to 5,000 people rallied at the quays calling for “every member of government” to step down.

The protestors gathered at the Garden of Remembrance off Parnell Street around lunchtime and marched through the city before rallying at the Customs House.

Up to four Public Order Units and seven squad cars patrolled the inner-city area during the two-hour protest.

They chanted “out, out out” and “our streets” and carried placards referencing a “plantation” in Ireland.

Members of the protests at Coolock as well as Newtownmountkennedy were also represented at the march.

As they passed the GPO as smaller group of protestors supporting immigrants held up placards saying, “refugees welcome”.

Dozens of gardaí formed a line between the two sides as they march passed O’Connell Street.

The crowd heard from a number of speakers, including candidates in the upcoming local and European elections.

A protester in the centre of Dublin (Evan Treacy/PA)

The rally comes as the number of homeless asylum seekers continue to rise, the latest figures from the Department of Integration shows there are almost 1,700 people living rough.

On Sunday, the Irish Examiner visited the Grand Canal where more than 70 tents have been erected by people seeking international protection since a “tent city” was dismantled at Mount Street this week.

One asylum seeker from Palestine said he and his friends have been here for the past 20 days are “hungry and without food”.

Despite the heavy garda presence at today’s rally, gardaí told the Irish Examiner: “Gardaí attended at a public gathering in the city centre. No arrests have been reported and no further comment is available.”