Braving some of the worst weather conditions of the year, a massive crowd turned out in Dublin to protest against the cuts being imposed as part of the 4 year plan announced by the government, and cemented by the €85bn EU/IMF bailout package. Organisers said that between 100,000 and 150,000 attended, a number that the Gardai (police) had relayed to them, but the Garda Press Office later announced that the total number was about 50,000. It was probably more like somewhere in the middle, which is a massive protest by Irish standards, and may be a sign that people are becoming more willing to come out onto the streets. More mainstream news reports about this protest can be found here (RTE.ie).