Bigturnoutatprotestrally
POWERFUL stories of the racism which members of Dundalk’s black community experience on an everyday basis were heard at the Black Lives Matter protest last Tuesday afternoon at the Market Square.
The well attended rally was organised over social media to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement following the shocking killing of George Floyd by the police in the United States last week.
The crowd of mostly young people, many wearing masks, carried homemade posters and listened as speaker after speaker emerged from the group to share their stories of what it is to be a black person living in Ireland today. They spoke of the racism in schools, workplaces, sports clubs and the community.
Among them was Francis Onwuka, who explained that while he grew up in Dundalk, he wasn’t born here. He recalled how during his first week at school, a kid said he looked like a Malteser head and although he didn’t know what that meant he responded that the other child looked like a Milky Bar kid and the teacher laughed.
‘It’s the little things,’ he said.
He spoke of how he had learned about the Troubles in Northern Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement and recalled going to Newry on a night out with a friend in 2010. When the night club had finished, the two of them, two black guys, got into a car. They were surrounded by a gang of white people who began rocking the car, while the PSNI sat in a car nearby but did nothing. His friend got out of the car with a wrench in his hand, which he shouldn’t have done. However, instead of being protected from the mob, they were arrested. As bail was set at £1,000, they ended up spending two nights in Maghaberry Prison before being taken to court.
Calling for change, he said that there was a need to educate people about equality so that everyone can get on like human beings.
Kawsie Boyce, the well-known director of Dundalk’s M.A.D Youth Theatre, spoke emotionally about how he had experienced systemic racism in the United States.
‘I have been shot at by rubber bullets, tear gassed and thrown a distance away because of hate,’ said Kawsie who took part in many protests against police brutality and racism when living in New York.
Protestors ‘take a knee’ at Market Square.
‘It hurts,’ he said, adding that it was a long time since he had been at such a protest and he was there because he didn’t want his children to have to protest in the future.
‘I’m shaking because it hurts so much,’ he continued. ‘Will I have to stand here in 20 years time to say Black lives matter?’
‘You have a responsibility, each and every one, to educate your parents, families and peers.’
He urged people not to sit on the fence, adding that black people face a lot of sh*t in the community but don’t say anything about it.
‘We are here today to make a stand.’
The gardai maintained a discreet presence at the protest. Many commentators on social media criticised the event for breaching social distancing regulations, while expressing their support for the cause. Others, however, were openly racist in their remarks.
The holding of the rally was raised in the Dáil by local Independent TD Peter Fitzpatrick.
He said that while he understood the anger felt by people and the need to highlight what happened in the United States, which he described as ‘a disgrace’, he took issue with people congregating in the town centre.
‘No social distancing took place at all, which is not acceptable. As we have suffered the lockdown restrictions we placed people who are over 70 years of age under a virtual house arrest, we stopped friends and even family members from attending funerals of their loved ones, and families have been unable to visit loved ones in hospitals and nursing homes. People have gone to extraordinary lengths to keep this horrible virus at bay.
‘ This week a constituent told me she was unable to attend the wake or the funeral of a close relative because of the restrictions in place, yet these other large gatherings of people are apparently allowed to take place. I fully support the cause that brought people to demonstrate but during this lockdown surely a different form of protest should be organised.’
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar replied: ‘I believe protests and demonstrations are part of democracy and I believe in free speech and hate to see that suppressed in other countries. I would however ask anyone who is taking part in protests of any nature to maintain that physical distance of 2 metres and not to travel more than 5 km from their homes to participate in the protest. Protests can be organised locally as well as in city centre locations.
‘Anyone who is organising a protest should ensure that they take responsibility for that protest, that the public health guidelines are managed, and to do that not because I am asking them to but out of respect for our health care workers and older people who are the ones who will suffer if any of these protests become a cluster for infection, stated An Taoiseach.