Crowds of demonstrators in Ireland are demanding accountability following the death of a Congolese man who became unresponsive after being held down by security personnel outside a major Dublin retail establishment.
Community advocates say troubling footage showing Yves Sakila in obvious distress while being pinned down on the pavement brings back memories of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020.
The 35-year-old Sakila was pursued and apprehended on May 15 by multiple security officers who believed he had stolen merchandise from Arnotts, Ireland’s oldest and largest department store, located in central Dublin. When police officers arrived at the scene, he was already unresponsive and was subsequently declared dead at a medical facility.
“Yves Sakila was a man who did not deserve to die,” Suzie Tansia, of the Congolese Community Ireland, said at a demonstration Thursday. “He was a human being, like you and I. He was somebody’s son, and that could have been any one of us.”
According to attorney John Gerard Cullen, who is representing Sakila’s relatives, the man had allegedly taken a bottle of perfume from the establishment.
Security personnel chased Sakila as he attempted to escape, during which he collided with an elderly man in his 80s who required hospital treatment for his injuries, according to law enforcement.
Footage from the confrontation, which the Irish Network Against Racism characterized as “very disturbing,” depicts a man identified as Sakila fighting and screaming in distress while being restrained by multiple individuals for approximately five minutes.
During the restraint, another individual wearing a gray suit can be seen placing his knee on Sakila’s neck, according to the organization. The video concludes with him lying still.
“We are very concerned that this case appears to have the hallmarks of a case of excessive use of force,” said Shane O’Curry, director of the network. “The death of a Black man in such circumstances is extremely worrying, and we urge the authorities to thoroughly investigate all of the circumstances leading to this man’s death, in order to ensure minority ethnic community confidence in the criminal justice system.”
The retail establishment expressed being “deeply saddened” by Sakila’s death and announced it was reviewing its private security contractor arrangements. The store confirmed it was assisting with the police inquiry.
Prime Minister Micheál Martin has requested a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
“My deepest sympathies go out to his family, and to the wider Congolese community,” Martin said. “I don’t want to prejudice the outcome of that investigation but I think a lot of people are clearly very concerned about what has transpired here.”
Law enforcement officials are examining the death while simultaneously facing their own internal review by the ombudsman regarding their handling of the situation.
Media outlets reported that the initial responding officers placed handcuffs on Sakila before discovering he was unresponsive and beginning CPR.
While a post-mortem examination has been conducted, authorities have not disclosed the cause of death, citing operational considerations.
Cullen stated that Sakila’s relatives are disappointed with the limited information they have received.
Authorities are requesting witnesses to step forward with information.
Sakila had relocated from Congo to Galway during his teenage years and had resided in Ireland for over two decades. He had been employed in the technology sector but had been without housing in recent times. Cullen noted that Sakila battled substance addiction.
Walter Kabangu, the director of the Congolese Chamber of Commerce in Ireland who attended school with Sakila, characterized him as a “very down-to-earth young man.”
A memorial gathering took place Tuesday in front of Arnotts, and hundreds of demonstrators assembled peacefully Thursday outside Parliament.
Participants carried signs reading “Black lives matter here too,” and chanted, “Justice for Yves, dignity for all,” and “No justice, no peace.”
Prior to the demonstration, the Black Coalition Ireland conducted a press briefing and presented five requirements: a transparent examination of the death; racial sensitivity training for law enforcement; legislation against excessive force in civilian arrests; cessation of “demonizing rhetoric” toward ethnic communities; and equal treatment for all in reality — not merely in policy.
“We are demanding this because our lives matter,” said Yemi Adenuga, a Meath County councilor who is a spokeswoman for the coalition. “It would be sad to see this happen again on the streets of Dublin.”
