On May 15, Yves Sakila — a 35-year-old Congolese man who had lived in Ireland for more than two decades — was pinned face-down on the pavement of Henry Street, one of Dublin's busiest shopping streets, by a group of security guards outside Arnotts department store. By the time an ambulance reached the Mater Hospital, he was dead.
According to Reuters, nearly five minutes of footage shows at least five people holding Sakila to the ground while he lay face-down on the street. One of the men can be seen briefly placing his knee on Sakila's head or neck. He is heard shouting in distress — and by the end of the video, he is motionless.
The comparisons to the murder of George Floyd were immediate — and Ireland is now demanding answers.
Ireland's Special Rapporteur on Racism and Racial Equality, Dr. Ebun Joseph, wrote, per BBC, directly to the Minister for Justice, the Garda Commissioner, and the police watchdog Fiosrú, stating that the footage depicts a "disproportionate and unnecessary level of force" and raises "urgent and serious questions."
Hundreds took to the streets on Thursday (May 21). Protesters gathered outside Ireland's parliament with five demands: a transparent investigation into Sakila's death, racial training for all gardaí, legislation against excessive force in civilian detention, an end to dehumanizing rhetoric against ethnic communities, and equal treatment for all communities — not just on paper, but in practice.
Staff at the Salvation Army's Granby Centre, where Sakila had been living for two years, described him as a pleasant and quiet man with a deep interest in technology who sometimes attended prayer services. They spoke with him the morning he died. That was the last time they saw him.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin has called for a full investigation, telling parliament that the circumstances surrounding Sakila's death are "deeply concerning." The family's solicitor confirmed that relatives had not yet been informed of the initial postmortem results, nearly a week after his death.
The Irish Network Against Racism said it plainly: "The death of a Black man in such circumstances is extremely worrying."
Yves Sakila was 35 years old. He called Ireland home for over 20 years. His community is demanding his name not be forgotten.
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