Campaigners protesting against Shell's Corrib gas pipeline in Co Mayo prevented workers at the company's Dublin office from entering the building, they claimed today.
The Shell to Sea Dublin campaign said around 60 activists gathered at Shell's Leeson Street office and prevented most of the staff from entering early this morning.
Finbar Dwyer of Dublin Shell to Sea said: "This was a successful non-violent direct action in solidarity with the besieged communities around Shell's refinery site at Bellanaboy. It was also intended to highlight the giveaway of Ireland's offshore gas."
But Shell claimed the protest was "aggressive" and that a number of its employees were knocked to the ground during the events.
The campaigners accused gardaí of using "excessive force" at the protest this morning and said several activists received "minor injuries". "Garda heavy-handedness failed to prevent our blockade - apart from about eight staff members who got in," said Mr Dwyer.
The campaigners called off their action at around 11am.
A spokeswoman for Shell challenged the campaign's claim that the protest was non-violent. She told ireland.comthat the protest was "quite aggressive" and that a number of employees were "jostled and knocked to the ground", and that many were the subject of "verbal and physical abuse".
"Shell respects everyone's right to protest peacefully, and we regret that this protest was not peaceful," she added. "We encourage everyone to enter into a dialogue with us rather than resort to physical violence."
A Garda spokesman told ireland.comthat if protesters had any disagreements with how the demonstration was handled they should "make a complaint to the Garda Complaints Board".
He said there were no arrests.