The High Court has granted an order setting up a 20 metre exclusion zone around a water meter installation in Dublin's north east.

The application was made by GMC Sierra and Irish Water today.

Mr Justice Paul Gilligan indicated that residents of the road in question, would be exempt.

Councillor Michael O'Brien, of the Anti Austerity Alliance labelled the ruling “utterly ridiculous” and said attempts to criminalise the growing protest movement will fail.

"This notion of a tolerance by the establishment of protests is effectively a tolerance for tokenistic, ineffective protest,” Mr O’Brien said.

A statement from Mr O’Brien said the court’s ruling must be defied and insisted "People won't stand for it ... the best response possible is the mobilisation in bigger-than-ever numbers tomorrow in the area."

Counsel for GMC Sierra told the court the company’s workers had been harassed by protestors – including racial abuse and following them home. The court heard workers had been spat on and, in one incident, held in a van for 14 hours.