Dublin protest urges probe into ‘George Floyd’-style death

DUBLIN, Ireland (AFP) — Protesters in Dublin demanded justice Saturday for a Congolese man who died after he was restrained by security guards, in an incident likened to George Floyd's murder in the United States six years ago.Around 100 people demonstrated in Ireland's capital to call for an independent and transparent probe into the death of 35-year-old Yves Sakila earlier this month.Video footage widely shared on social media showed Sakila being held on the ground for almost five minutes by security workers outside a department store on a busy shopping street in central Dublin on May 15.Sakila, who had been living in Ireland since 2004, then became unresponsive before later dying in hospital.Irish police said in a statement they are investigating all of the circumstances surrounding his restraint and death.The probe has not yet reached any announced findings or charging decisions.A post-mortem examination has been completed by a state pathologist but the results have not yet been released.We need justice for Yves Sakila. We need a proper investigation into his death, one of the protesters, Eoghan O Ceannabhain, a musician, told AFP.I think there are lots of questions to be asked about what kind of training this security is given, he added.The case has sparked a strong reaction among Ireland's black and African communities, particularly those in the Congolese diaspora.Campaigners say the case raises wider concerns about the treatment of black people in Ireland and the use of excessive force by private security staff.We are standing for the community to ask for justice, Ono Tambura, a 60-year-old Congolese woman who lives in Ireland, told AFP at the protest.Protestors at demonstrations have drawn parallels with the murder by a police officer of Floyd in Minneapolis in the United States in 2020, which triggered riots and inspired the global Black Lives Matter movement.While urging peaceful demonstrations, protest organisers have called for full transparency from authorities and demanded that all available security camera and witness evidence be examined.Other demands include the prompt publication of forensic findings, and accountability for anyone found to have acted unlawfully.Campaigners have also called on the government to address concerns about racial profiling and discrimination raised by members of minority communities.