Further demonstrations took place in Galway and Mayo today to demand the release of the five men who have been jailed for their opposition to a gas pipeline in Co Mayo.
The multinational energy company Shell is seeking to build the Corrib gas pipeline on their land.
About 200 people are staging a protest at the site of the planned €300m gas terminal at Bellanaboy in north Mayo.
In Galway city, about 40 campaigners handed in a letter at the office of the Minister of State, Frank Fahey, demanding his resignation.
A spokesman for the campaigners said Mr Fahey was the minister directly responsible for giving the oil companies involved in the Corrib gas field a compulsory acquisition order for lands along the route of the pipeline.
As such he bore a moral responsibility for the jailing of the five men, the spokesman said.
A spokeswoman for Mr Fahey said he would be making no comment on the issue.
