Mohan Sinha
23 May 2026, 13:53 GMT+10
DUBLIN, Ireland: Hundreds of people gathered outside Ireland's parliament on May 21 to protest the death of a Congolese-born man, which has shocked the country. They were angry about how he died after being restrained outside a department store in Dublin last week.
The man, Yves Sakila, was stopped by security guards on a busy shopping street on May 15 in connection with a suspected shoplifting incident, police said. He became unresponsive at the scene and was later declared dead.
A video of the incident, shared widely on social media, shows Sakila being held down on the ground by five men for nearly five minutes while people watched. Two of the men pressed his face to the ground, and at one point, one of them appeared to kneel on his head or neck for a short time.
At the protest, people shouted slogans like "no cover-up, no delay" and "justice for Yves, dignity for all." Some carried signs saying "Justice" and "céad míle fáilte is for everyone," meaning everyone is welcome.
Another sign read, "Yves, your life mattered, Black lives matter." The incident reminded many of George Floyd's death in the United States in 2020, which led to major protests against racism and police violence.
Sakila, believed to be in his 30s, had lived in Ireland since he was young, according to a leader of the Congolese community. She said the community now feels unsafe.
Lawmakers described the video as disturbing. Prime Minister Micheál Martin called for a full investigation and said the way Sakila died has caused serious concern across the country.
Police said they have collected CCTV and social media footage and are asking anyone who was near the well-known Arnotts department store at the time to come forward. A post-mortem has been completed, but the results have not yet been released for investigative reasons.
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