Tens of thousands pack Dublin to decry new Irish water tax; 1 officer hurt, key roads blocked

Tens of thousands of protesters have brought Dublin to a standstill in a mass protest against Ireland's planned new tax on household water supplies, the most recently imposed measure from the country's six-year austerity drive.

Police say more than 30,000 people attended Wednesday's main rally in the square outside the office of Prime Minister Enda Kenny, where left-wing politicians appealed from a makeshift stage for the public not to pay the new charge. "No way! We won't pay!" the crowd chanted.

Elsewhere, near the cordoned-off entrance to Ireland's parliament building, protesters tried to topple security barriers and hurled objects at police lines. One officer was hospitalized with facial injuries.

As evening rush hour approached, groups of protesters blocked key roads and bridges over the River Liffey, blocking traffic for hours.