How the death of Yves Sakila exposes Ireland’s deeply rooted racism problem

Fatally restrained by security guards outside a Dublin department store, Congolese-born Sakila’s demise raises serious questions about accountability

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Hello and welcome to The Long Wave. On a Dublin street two weeks ago, Yves Sakila died. The 35-year-old, who was of Congolese origin, was pinned down by security guards for almost five minutes after being accused of shoplifting a bottle of perfume from a department store. When the police arrived, Sakila was dead. I spoke to Dr Ebun Joseph, special rapporteur on racial equality and racism in Ireland, about what is being called Ireland’s “George Floyd moment”.

The impact of Yves Sakila’s death continues to reverberate across Ireland. Joseph was appointed to give an independent evaluation of the government’s National Action Plan Against Racism, days after several protests and a vigil in Dublin. I ask her what the mood is among Black communities in Ireland.