An estimated 4000 supporters of same-sex marriage marched to the Department of Justice in the Irish capital on Sunday.

The demonstrators argued that Ireland’s civil partnership law cements inequality by offering a separate institution that explicitly excludes LGBT people from marriage.

“Civil partnership does not give the same rights as marriage, it does not give equality. Children from same sex couples do not have the same rights as children from married couples,” explained Grainne Healy of lobby group Marriage Equality.

A number of banners and placards cited a national survey that recently indicated 73% of Irish people support marriage equality.

“We need [coalition leaders] Fine Gael to catch up with public opinion,” said March for Marriage organiser Anna MacCarthy.

Speakers at a rally following the march linked the issue of marriage equality to the legal struggles facing trans people, and to the high rate of homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools.

“I felt if I let bullies know I was different, I’d be targeted,” said Bobby Edgar of the Butterfly Project. “Our Government is adding to the bullying in schools by saying the LGBT community isn’t equal to everyone else.”

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