There were conflicting estimates of the numbers of people at the march, which began on the north side of Dublin in the middle of the afternoon.
Police said 100,000 people were on the streets, while organisers said they expected 200,000 to protest in total.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu), which organised the march, said it was campaigning for “a fairer and better way” of dealing with the economic crisis.
Protestors marched in the centre to vent their anger at the Irish government’s handling of the country’s recession.
They oppose plans to impose a pension levy on 350,000 public sector workers.
Trade union organisers of the march said workers did not cause the economic crisis but were having to pay for it and were campaigning on a range of economic issues.
In a statement, the Irish government said it recognised that the measures it was taking were “difficult and in some cases painful”.
The pension levy was “reasonable”, the government said.
It reflected “the reality that we are not in a position to continue to meet the public service pay bill in the circumstances of declining revenue”, it added.
Reports say the plan could cost the 350,000 public sector workers between 1,500 euros and 2,800 euros (£2,500) a year.
Background
National Demonstration set for Feb 21
General Secretary David Begg pointed out to affiliates that, following consultations with member unions, it was decided to concentrate resources and attention on one major demonstration in Dublin, on Saturday, February 21, as the first step in a rolling campaign of action.
The march will set off from Dublin’s Parnell Square at 2pm.
As this is the first step in the campaign, it is expected that other action will follow around the country, as required.
Congress has also published a 10 point plan for national recovery – There is a Better, Fairer Way – which sets out the key elements of the campaign platform. The plan outlines 10 key initiatives to address the current crisis, including:
- Protecting Jobs and Tackling Unemployment
- The Banking Crisis and the Public Interest
- Competitiveness
- The Pay Agreement
- Fairness & Taxation
- Restoring Consumer Confidence
- The Public Sector Pension ‘Levy’
- The Private Sector Pension Crisis
- Employment Rights
- National Recovery Bond
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