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THE HEARTBREAK AND anger of the Congolese and wider African-Irish community was on full display at a vigil on Henry Street on Tuesday.
The vigil, which at times more resembled a protest, heard calls for justice for Yves Sakila, the 35-year-old man from Congo who died after being restrained outside Arnotts department store in Dublin city centre following an alleged shoplifting incident last Friday afternoon.
A Congolese woman, who sank to her knees in front of a lamppost on the street where mourners had left roses and cards, cried as she spoke in her own language about the pain that Sakila’s mother must be feeling. She finished by saying in English: “Blood, blood on your hands”.
The tension in the air was palpable.
The same woman led the vigil in song as people came together to express grief, anger and to celebrate Sakila’s life.
Sakila was living in supported accommodation in Dublin city centre, having come to Ireland with his aunt and uncle many years ago, and attended secondary school in Blanchardstown.
Mulang Mika, a member of the Congolese community who has been in Dublin for 30 years, was involved in organising the vigil.
He said that Sakila was someone who went through “hard times” in life after his Leaving Cert.
“He went into a precarious situation in life, he actually lived in a homeless hostel around the corner… everyone in this area knows him, he’s almost like a local,” Mika said.
Sakila is not believed to have any children. It’s understood that his mother and father remain in Congo, and are distraught following the news of his death.
Chris Kibiadi, who is also Congolese, knew Sakila from growing up in Dublin city.
“He was a nice guy, he knew loads of people here and they’ve all come here,” Kibiadi said.
He added that he spoke to Sakila’s mother earlier today.
“She is shocked by the news, all of us are. We’re asking for justice, at the least. His mother needs to come here to see when they are going to bury her son, that’s what we are here for,” he added.
“The Congolese community feels this pain deeply, but this message is for the whole world: violence and injustice must stop. Silence only makes it happen again. We cannot wait until it is too late for another family,” Kibiadi said.
A spokesperson for Arnotts previously told The Journal: “We are deeply saddened by the serious incident which occurred outside our Henry Street store on Friday evening.
“Emergency services and An Garda Síochána attended the scene, and the matter remains subject to an active garda investigation. As inquiries are ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time. Our thoughts are with all those affected,” they added.
During the vigil, the department store had a sign on its Henry Street entrance that said: “As a mark of respect, these doors will remain closed this afternoon”.
The store remained open to customers at another entrance, which was temporarily closed after protesters gathered outside.
Labour Party TD Marie Sherlock, who attended the vigil, said that she is aware that a garda investigation into Sakila’s death and the circumstances surrounding it remains ongoing, and that the “full facts” of the case have yet to be established.
Signs were held up at the vigil that addressed comments made by former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who last week was recorded by a member of the public during a doorstep at their home saying that he had concerns about “Africans” coming into Ireland.
“We can’t be taking in people from the Congo and all these places. I think there’s too many from those places,” he was heard saying in the recording.
Sherlock said that while the two incidents are not tied, all public representatives “need to understand the power of our words”.
Sherlock said that the footage of the incident that led to Sakila’s death was deeply “disturbing”.
The almost five-minute video shows Mr Sakila being held to the ground by five men. Two of the men appear to be pushing his head and neck to the ground with their hands, while one appears to push down on Mr Sakila’s head and neck with his knee. His body is almost completely covered by the men.
By the end of the video, he does not appear to be moving.
Sandra, a Nigerian woman living in Dublin who has five sons, said that she attended the vigil because she is “scared”.
“Whatever he has done, he should not have had his life taken. That’s his life. He can be taken to jail, but for his life to be gone, nobody can ever see him again, that is really bad,” she said.
A protest is due to take place outside the Dáil on Thursday, and it is expected that representatives from different groups representing migrant rights and anti-racism initiatives in Ireland will be present.
Irish Network Against Racism director Shane O’Curry has urged the authorities to “thoroughly investigate” all the circumstances around the incident “in order to ensure minority ethnic community confidence in the criminal justice system.”
“The death of a black man in such circumstances is extremely worrying,” he added.
A garda spokesperson has said that Sakila became “unresponsive at the scene and was transported by ambulance to the Mater Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased”.
Sakila, who gardaí did not name in their statement, had been detained by security personnel, gardaí said.
Sakila allegedly injured a man in his 80s as he “attempted to flee” after the alleged shoplifting incident, gardaí said.
Gardaí said the man in his 80s “continues to receive medical treatment”.
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