Garda Síochána rescue Joan Burton from angry crowd after graduation ceremony in Jobstown area of west Dublin

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Ireland’s deputy prime minister was trapped in a car for two hours on Saturday afternoon after being surrounded by demonstrators protesting against water charges.

Joan Burton, the Labour party leader, had to be rescued by Garda Síochána officers when her vehicle was trapped within a large angry crowd in the Jobstown area of west Dublin.

Burton, who is also the Irish Republic’s minister for social protection, was attending a graduation ceremony when about 100 protesters rushed towards her ministerial car after the event finished at about midday.

During the incident a Garda helicopter monitored the situation.

RTÉ (@rte) Tánaiste trapped in car by water charge protesters http://t.co/S95SrT2f5e pic.twitter.com/vYQVHJqNPc More: @rtenews @sandra_hurley

Irish Socialist party TD Paul Murphy, who represents the area in the Dáil, said: “The protest has been peaceful. Yes, she has been delayed here for a number of hours but I think this protest has sent a very clear message to her, a message which the Tánaiste [deputy prime minister] has ignored to date, that people don’t want to pay these water charges.

“There is national anger over the changes but particularly in Tallaght and Jobstown in west Dublin … there are a lot of people who simply can’t afford to pay,” he said, adding the protesters were also sending a message to Irish Water that the people of Tallaght would not accept water charges.

A spokesman for the deputy prime minister said she had attended a graduation ceremony at An Cósan higher education college.

“Nothing should be allowed to detract or deflect from what was a very important day for those students,” he said.