About 30 people gathered outside a meeting of Dublin City Council tonight to protest against the proposed visit to Ireland by Britain's Queen Elizabeth.
The protest organised by republican group Éirígí coincides with a motion on the agenda of the monthly meeting of council representatives expressing concern over any such visit.
Chair of the group Brian Leeson noted Taoiseach Brian Cowen's statement that he intended to invite Queen Elizabeth to visit the State within the next year.
"Now is the time to start organising public opposition to that visit. This visit can be stopped if enough
people get on the streets and demand it. Fianna Fáil and the Green Party need to get the message that the British royalty are not welcome in any part of Ireland," he said.
He said if the Government went ahead with the plans for such a visit, Éirígí would "challenge them every step of the way".
"And if the state visit actually goes ahead they can be sure it will be marked by determined, forceful protests on the streets.”
The socialist republican political party Éirígí was formed in 2006. Its councillor Loiuse Minihan has submitted a motion for debate during tonight's meeting of Dublin City Council.
The motion notes "with deep concern the proposal for a state visit to the 26 counties by the British head of state.
"Such a visit would be entirely inappropriate whilst the British state continues to implement
imperialist policies and commit human rights abuses across the world, most notably in Afghanistan, Iraq and here in Ireland. This council calls on the Dublin government to abandon its plans to invite the British head of state to Ireland and on behalf of the proud citizens of this city we declare that Elizabeth Windsor is not welcome in Dublin," the motion reads.
A small number of uniformed gardaí monitored the protest outside City Hall this evening.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen confirmed last month that Queen Elizabeth would be invited by the Government to visit Ireland for an official state visit before President Mary McAleese’s term of office ends next year.
He said following a meeting with British prime minister David Cameron that no obstacle now exists to the visit.