Anti-bin charge campaigners vowed yesterday to continue their protest, despite being subject to a High Court injunction preventing them from obstructing refuse collectors.
Fingal County Council won its injunction against 15 campaigners, including Socialist Party TD Mr Joe Higgins and Cllr Ruth Coppinger, after a second day of protests left thousands of Dublin residents with unemptied bins.
A spokeswoman for the council said the injunction was essential to protect public safety, as refuse trucks blockaded into residential areas were at risk of explosion.
"Trucks that have collected waste and can't dump it are ticking bombs. The impacted rubbish in the truck emits methane gas. If a match was to go in the wrong direction the whole truck could explode," she said.
Two of the council's bin lorries remained in housing estates in Santry and Swords until late last night.
Speaking after the injunction was granted last night, Ms Coppinger said the campaign would continue.
"There are thousands of anti-bin tax campaigners, not just us. The campaign is not going to to fold over this."
Gardaí confirmed they would arrest protesters who breached the injunction.
Protesters blockaded refuse trucks on eight routes in Castleknock, Carpenterstown, Howth, Santry and Swords yesterday after the council ordered its workers not to collect bins from residents who had not paid their charges.
However, the protesters were met with a hostile reaction from a number of residents of Warren Park in Carpenterstown when they blocked refuse trucks yesterday morning. Up to 20 women dragged bins from their houses to where the council's truck had been halted by protesters and demanded that the refuse collectors take their rubbish.
"We don't want these people here - they're not from here," said one local woman of the protesters. "I've paid up, I want my bin taken. I have children and I don't want rubbish lying around."
Only one or two of the protesters in Warren Park yesterday were locals. However, the campaign organisers say they intend to campaign wherever in Fingal bins are being left uncollected.
"This isn't one of the strongholds of the campaigns, but we're building towards Monday when there will be a total shut down of the service," Ms Coppinger said.
On Monday bins are due for collection in Mulhuddart, Corduff, Ladyswell and Clonee - areas which the protesters claim to have strong support.
Fingal council's director of services, Mr Gilbert Power, said the protest was "unrepresentative" and was now an issue for the gardaí.
"The majority of people in this area have bin tags. They're understandably irritated - the service has to be provided to them."
The refuse truck in Warren Park was permitted to leave the area at 2.30 p.m. on the understanding that the bins would not be emptied.
Mr Power was unable to say when residents would have their rubbish collected.
"We are anxious to restore service as soon as possible. We may be able to arrange collection over the weekend. The worst-case scenario is that people would have to wait until the next scheduled protest next week."
Campaigners in the Dublin City Council area said they will hold a major demonstration at the council's depot in Rathmines on Monday morning.
The city council is making arrangements to stop collecting rubbish from householders who have not paid waste charges from next week.
