The Congolese and Black communities in Dublin, Ireland, are mourning a Congolese man Yves Sakila who died after guards pinned him to the floor for several minutes over alleged shoplifting.

Mr Sakila, 30, was accused of shoplifting in a shop at Henry Street, Dublin. 

While fleeing from security officials, he ran into an elderly man who fell down and in the process, guards closed in on him and pinned him to the floor. 

A video of Mr Sakila struggling as he was pinned to the ground by guards has emerged on internet. 

One of the guards pressed his head with his feet to the floor as other held him.

Mr Sakila was later pronounced dead, sparking uproar over how he was manhandled by the guards. The deceased’s family and the Black community are angry over the development and demanding urgent action from the authorities.

A vigil was held on Henry Street in Dublin city centre in memory of Mr Sakila on Tuesday, while many called for justice for the slain Congolese.

A mass protest has been scheduled for 1:00 pm on Thursday by the Congolese community in Ireland. Mr Sakila’s death is reminiscent of George Floyd, a black American, murdered by a white cop in a similar manner in Minnesota, U.S. in 2020.

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission in a statement said, “We recognise the profound shock and distress that this incident has caused, particularly within the Congolese community and wider Black and minority ethnic communities.”

It added, “It is essential that there is a full, independent and prompt investigation into all of the circumstances surrounding this incident.”

In a statement on Tuesday, The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) said, “While the specifics of what happened – including who did what when – are not fully clear at this point, the role of An Garda Síochána in the incident must also be fully and transparently investigated by Fiosrú.”

Commenting on how the guards pinned Mr Sakila to the ground, the ICCL said, 

“It is deeply distressing and clearly shows a disproportionate and excessive use of force by people who seem to be security personnel in response to the outlined situation.”