A man has died after being restrained by security guards outside a Dublin shopping centre, in an incident that has drawn comparisons to the killing of George Floyd. Yves Sakila, a 35-year-old Congolese national who had lived in Ireland for 22 years, was pronounced dead in hospital after being held on the ground outside the busy shopping district of Arnotts last Friday.
Incident Details
Mr Sakila was detained by security outside the entrance of Arnotts on Friday afternoon on suspicion of stealing bottles of perfume from the department store. Police briefly handcuffed him as they tended to a pensioner who was also injured in the alleged shoplifting. A five-minute video clip, seen by Metro, shows Mr Sakila being held down by around five people, including a security guard who can be seen putting his knee on the back of his head, forcing his face into the floor. Mothers with babies in prams watch on as he screams out, but his head is pinned to the ground in the busy shopping area. After more than three minutes, he appears unresponsive and the security guards let go. One of the guards puts Mr Sakila’s hood up and appears shaky as he makes a phone call. Mr Sakila died in hospital shortly after.
Public Outrage and Vigil
The clip has been shared widely online and has been described as ‘deeply disturbing’, sparking concern among minority communities. Dozens of people gathered at noon on Tuesday, laying flowers and red roses along the busy shopping street. Chants of ‘Justice for Yves’ and ‘no more violence’ were heard, while some held signs reading ‘Black lives matter here too’. At the vigil, members of the public spoke of their shock. Chris Kibiadi said: ‘It’s not all about the colour. This could happen to anybody.’ A woman named Lolo described the death as ‘painful’, adding that gardaí should have been called. John Kabongo told the crowd his children were left frightened after seeing the footage. ‘They asked me, “Is this really happening in Ireland?” I didn’t know how to explain it,’ he said.
Community and Official Reactions
Community representatives also called for answers, with Walter Kabangu of the Congolese Chamber of Commerce Ireland saying he was ‘shocked and saddened’. ‘As a community, we demand justice,’ he said. The Irish Network Against Racism (INAR) said it was ‘extremely disturbed’ and urged a full investigation to maintain trust in the justice system. Gardaí said the man had been detained in connection with alleged shoplifting shortly after 5pm, before becoming unresponsive. The Garda Ombudsman (Fiosrú) is now examining the incident after it was referred by officers. Arnotts said it was ‘deeply saddened’ by Mr Sakila’s death and confirmed it is co-operating with the investigation, as well as carrying out a review with its contracted security firm. Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheál Martin offered his sympathies, saying the case must be ‘thoroughly investigated’. ‘I don’t want to prejudice the outcome,’ he said, ‘but people are clearly very concerned about what has transpired.’ Arnotts added: ‘No loss of life should ever be the outcome of a retail security incident.’ The investigation is ongoing.
