Yves Sakila killed by security guards using excessive force in Dublin

Yves Sakila, a 35-year-old Black Congolese man who has lived in Ireland for more than 20 years, has been killed in a horrific encounter with a team of brutish security guards in Dublin.

Video footage from 15 May shows a group of five men holding Sakila down with what is clearly excessive force. All five men are placing their weight on the grounded man, who is not providing any meaningful resistance. At one point, one of those on top places his knee forcefully into the back of Sakila’s neck.

The footage closely resembles the appalling racist murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, US, in 2020.

In media reporting of the Dublin incident, the phrase “became unresponsive” is applied to Sakila. It is the same passive voice framing so often used for police killings as if victims’ sudden loss of life was a spontaneous incident unrelated to the actions of anyone else. The evidence strongly indicates the men restraining Sakila caused his death.

Sakila mourners: ‘Don’t whitewash this crime’

People mourning his death held a vigil at the scene of the crime on Henry Street on Tuesday. There, a woman can be heard demanding:

We want the media to say that a man was killed. We want the media to cover what happened…we want justice.

Another man berates the media present and insists they cover the incident properly, and be on the side of justice. The likes of RTÉ and the Irish Times have referenced the claim that the five-man assault of Sakila occurred in the context of an alleged shoplifting incident. They have not emphasised that even if Sakila had been accused of murdering someone, the nature of restraint the men used had no justification.

The Irish Times at least made some limited attempt to humanise Sakila, who was homeless. Quoting staff at the Salvation Army shelter where he lived, the Irish Times wrote:

Staff described him as a “pleasant and quiet” resident who had a “deep interest in technology and sometimes attended prayer services”.

They also quote a mourner at the vigil, Boma Biansolo, who said:

I came here because…my brother [died] here on Friday and no one tried to help him or save him…Of course I am scared for my son because that happened.

This is another disturbing aspect of Sakila’s killing — the fact he was assaulted while a large crowd of people looked on and did nothing to assist him as he clearly cried out in distress. It poses disturbing questions for Irish society, especially in the context of Bertie Ahern’s recent disgusting racist remarks.

Speaking on the doorstep of a potential voter who was vomiting out a torrent of xenophobic bile, Ahern said:

The ones I worry about are the Africans. I agree with you on the Africans. We can’t be taking in people from the Congo and all these places. I think there’s too many from those places.

Killing follows racist remarks from Bertie Ahern

It would be excessive to directly blame Ahern for Yves Sakila’s death. However, such remarks, made often enough by influential people, create a racist culture in which violence against people of colour becomes more frequent.

Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, of People Before Profit, emphasised this.

He said:

Immigrants are facing increasing hostility and fear of attack created by far-right groups, but also by anti-immigrant government policies and rhetoric. Bertie Ahern’s recent comments were a shameful example of how government parties are fanning the flames of anti-immigrant hatred to divert from their own disastrous policies. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael bear heavy responsibility for the fear immigrant communities have to live with today.

In a statement, Shane O’Curry, of Irish Network Against Racism (INAR), said:

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 group is calling on supporters to attend a protest organised by the Congolese community in Ireland. It will take place at the Dáil at 1pm on Thursday 21 May.

Featured image via the Canary