Hogan's Car Attacked In Anti-Household Tax Protestor

Household charge protestors attacked environment minister Paul Hogan’s car yesterday as he left a museum opening.

Gardai had to hold back almost 150 anti-household charge protestors has they banged on the roof and attempted to surround the vehicle outside Carlow Cathedral.

The minister did not appear to be in any danger but the scenes have shown the intensity of public opposition to the controversial tax.

Hogan had planned to give a speech outside the new museum but this was abandoned and moved to the nearby cathedral when protestors surrounded the location

With a nod to the security presence, the minister said during his speech: "I didn't think I'd ever have that many people looking after me. It's great to see so many people can't get in."

Demonstrators carried signs with slogans such as 'Don't Register, Don't Pay' and some of the protesters appeared to have travelled from other counties.

One said after the incident: "We came up here from Wexford. We will go anywhere. I'm not paying (the charge). I will go to jail for this."

Last night, one protester denied there was any contact with the car or that things had gotten out of hand.

Michael O'Brien, who had travelled from Wicklow, said: "We had a fairly noisy protest (but) I was in the frontline and there was nothing hot and heavy."