Dublin City Council has rejected the corporation's proposed restrictions on protests in O'Connell Street.
At a meeting of the council in City Hall, councillors voted 21 to 4 in favour of a Labour Party emergency motion "to reject the draft by-laws for O'Connell Street and direct the city manager to withdraw them immediately". Before the meeting, about 250 people protested outside City Hall against the proposed bylaws, which aimed to impose conditions on protests and marches on O'Connell Street, including a 31-day notice period and £2,000 deposits on groups over 50.
Members of Sinn Fein, the Socialist Workers' Party, the Green Party and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties made up the bulk of the demonstrators.
Four emergency motions rejecting the by-laws were tabled by councillors' groups.
"Let's bury it," said Labour councillor Mr Eric Byrne.
"The point is that people don't make their point where people can't see them," said Labour councillor Ms Mary Freehill.
Green Party councillor Mr Ciaran Cuffe said the corporation had "misjudged the public mood". "It's a total PR disaster," said Fine Gael councillor Ms Frances Fitzgerald TD.
Alderman Gay Mitchell TD, though voting to reject the bylaws, said there was a "need for some sort of protocol in relation to protest marches".
Sinn Fein councillor Mr Christy Burke said Jim Larkin would "turn in his grave".
Dublin's city manager, Mr John Fitzgerald, last night defended the decision to advertise the proposed by-laws in the national press before they had been debated by a meeting of the council.
He said the O'Connell Street Consultative Group, which is mainly but not exclusively composed of traders and developers, initiated the process, claiming the city centre was under threat and the intention was not to stop protests but to protect their interests.