Opinion
20 May 26

'Justice for Yves Sakila' protest to take place outside Dáil tomorrow

More than 100 people mounted a vigil outside Arnotts on Tuesday morning over his death on Friday.

A 'Justice for Yves Sakila' protest will take place outside the Dáil tomorrow at 1 pm.

The protest, organised by the Congolese Community in Ireland (C.C.I), is in response to the death of Yves Sakila, who died after being detained in an alleged shoplifting incident on Friday.

"We send our utmost solidarity to Yves' loved ones in Ireland and around the world and unequivocally stand alongside our Congolese, African, black, and Irish and radicalised and migrant communities who are feeling grief, fear and anger in the wake of this racist attack", stated the C.C.I online. "We will be at this vital protest on Thursday - we hope to see you there".

Many tributes were posted online after his death.

Irish-Ethiopian actress, Ruth Negga, posted "My deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of Mr Yves Sakila".

She emphasized, " The trauma of this completely avoidable tragedy must be given proper attention. We must not fail to give Yves Sakila the justice he deserves".

The protest comes days after a vigil was held on Henry Street in Dublin in memory of Sakila, who lived in Ireland for over 20 years.

Members of the C.C.I group gathered to chant prayers, sing songs, and lay flowers where Sakila was detained.

Concern was expressed about the level of force used to detain him. The Irish Network Against Racism described a video of the incident circulating online showing Sakila being held on the ground by security as "very disturbing".

Sakila was unresponsive and was rushed to the Maher hospital, where he was pronounced dead on Friday evening.

A post-mortem failed to establish a definitive cause of death, and Gardaí are awaiting further tests, including a toxicology report.

His death is being investigated by Gardaí and Fiosrú, the independent policing watchdog.

Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan, said the incident is a "very distressing and concerning event", and extended his condolences to Sakila's family.

"I want to assure the Sakila family and indeed the Congolese community in Ireland that there is a very thorough investigation ongoing".