Welcome to The Long Wave. Tragically, two weeks ago in Dublin, Yves Sakila, a 35-year-old of Congolese descent, lost his life. He had been restrained by security personnel for nearly five minutes after being suspected of stealing a bottle of perfume from a department store. By the time the police arrived, Sakila was no longer alive. I had a conversation with Dr. Ebun Joseph, the special rapporteur on racial equality and racism in Ireland, regarding what many are calling Ireland’s “George Floyd moment.”
The aftermath of Yves Sakila’s passing is creating a significant impact throughout Ireland. Joseph, who was appointed to provide an independent assessment of the government’s National Action Plan Against Racism, spoke shortly after a series of protests and a vigil held in Dublin. When I inquired about the sentiments within Black communities in Ireland, she responded, “This incident has instilled a sense of fear and disappointment. We believed we had made substantial progress in our activism against injustice and racism, only to realize that we are still facing the same challenges.”
Sakila’s death has challenged the prevailing notion that Ireland is somewhat insulated from the extreme racial violence seen in other nations, particularly the United States. Joseph indicated that there is a perception of Irish exceptionalism regarding race, stemming from its colonial history with Britain. She commented, “This type of incident doesn’t occur in Ireland.” Furthermore, she criticized the apathy of witnesses, who she described as “desensitized,” noting, “I couldn’t hear anyone shout, ‘No, stop, enough’ during the four minutes and forty-four seconds. That is something we must remember.”
Joseph conveyed her frustration and skepticism towards the state’s handling of Sakila’s death. The autopsy results were inconclusive, and the Garda, Ireland’s police force, reiterated allegations that Sakila had knocked down an elderly man while fleeing security. Joseph believes these claims detracted from the focus on Sakila’s death. She mentioned receiving online backlash from individuals asserting, “You’re discussing a thief, not the elderly man who was knocked down.”
She expressed doubt regarding the validity of these allegations, saying, “It would be wonderful if we could trust what we hear.” However, the lack of trust and ongoing controversy remain. Joseph is discouraging speculation and instead is concentrating on what is evident from the footage: five security guards utilized what appears to be excessive force on Sakila, resulting in his death. Given this, she posed the question, how can the autopsy be deemed inconclusive?
According to Joseph, racism in Ireland is often insidious, hidden behind discussions about immigration and housing shortages for which immigrants are unfairly blamed. She pointed out the dishonesty in conflating these issues. Notably, she highlighted that the largest immigrant group in Ireland is from the UK, suggesting that white immigrants receive a “more welcome, more acceptable” treatment compared to individuals from predominantly Black nations. “If we don’t raise concerns about immigration from the UK, it indicates that immigration itself is not the issue; it’s about specific groups of people,” she explained.
When I mentioned that the atmosphere in Ireland appears to have deteriorated swiftly, she concurred, stating, “Indeed, it has worsened significantly.” Although reports of racist hate crimes in Ireland are limited, there was a series of attacks last year that instilled fear within immigrant communities in Dublin, followed by violent demonstrations outside asylum hotels. Joseph remarked that this hostility surrounding immigration has fostered a pervasive feeling of “unsafety and insecurity” among Black individuals. She emphasized that hostility impacts individuals based on their skin color, regardless of their immigrant status. At the time of his death, Sakila had been residing in Ireland for over two decades.
Is Ireland facing a reckoning regarding its racism? Joseph believes the issue is deeply rooted within the country’s establishment. However, there is a lack of widespread recognition of a significant racism crisis. “You cannot address what you don’t acknowledge, what you can’t identify,” she asserted. She noted that even among those in positions of power, including government officials who should be more informed, some continue to argue that racism does not exist. When she has shared her experiences of online racist abuse with colleagues, some dismissed them as mere bot activity from the U.S. “Denial is a significant issue,” she added.
Could the tragic death of Sakila compel society to confront these issues and lead to a reckoning on racism in Ireland? Joseph expressed hope that it might serve as a catalyst for change, although skepticism crept into her voice. She voiced concerns about the potential backlash that Black individuals might face for speaking out. “There is a substantial cost associated with raising these issues,” she noted. “You are silenced, challenged, and accused of ingratitude. Why should we express gratitude when racism—both personal and systemic—persists in plain sight?”
However, a glimmer of hope emerged in her remarks about the younger generation of Black Irish individuals. She observed a growing confidence and sense of ownership in how they articulate their Irish identity. “Many young Black individuals are vocalizing their experiences with racism. They are persistent. But resilience should not replace accountability,” she stated.
Until that accountability is achieved, Joseph believes that Black Irish people understand that Sakila’s fate was not an isolated incident. Such occurrences do take place in Ireland, joining a troubling list of nations faced with their own pivotal moments of racial reckoning. This pattern illustrates a distressing reality: societies often only confront systemic racism following the high-profile death of a Black individual.
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