Senator Sharon Keogan has raised concerns over “African religious rituals” which have been performed in the aftermath of the death of Congolese man, Yves Sakila, in order to curse Arnotts.
Speaking from the Seanad, Keogan said that the rituals in which a man was captured on video “cursing death on all who enter the premises”.
“That conduct has not been treated with the seriousness [it deserves], she said, adding, “In fact, it has been dismissed or trivialised.”
“Yet at the same time, we have laws in this country where a person praying quietly within 100m of an abortion facility can face criminal sanctions.”
“That is a contradiction that needs to be acknowledged,” she said, turning to fears among staff and customers of Arnotts, who she said are now “worried for their safety”.
In the aftermath of Mr Sakila’s death, protests have been held outside the department store and elsewhere. In a video widely shared online, an African man in ceremonial dress can be seen sweeping the glass front of the shop with a broom. He says, “Voodoo for Africa. Every people who come to this shop, they die, I take two babies for this,” he says before taking a cane-like object out of a paper bag and shaking it.
Mr Sakila (35) died after he was restrained by a number of security staff outside the building after he was suspected of shoplifting.
He had a history of stealing from the store and had a criminal history dating back to 2011 with numerous convictions for theft and robbery.
Sakila’s death has drawn widespread criticism from numerous political and activist figures, such as Senator Eileen Flynn, who accused the security staff of killing Sakila, saying “he was murdered” and suggesting that this was because of the colour of his skin.
In her remarks, Senator Keogan described her colleagues’ conduct as “outrageous” and “a jeopardization of an ongoing investigation”, adding that if the men “are found innocent”, it would be “defamation”.
She compared the political reaction to the death of Irishman, Alex Coughlen, who was fatally assaulted in Blanchardstown, saying that reactions should not be based on the “dare I say it, ethnicity” of the deceased.
A man identified as his nephew by Channel 4 said the incident was “racism, pure racism”, and compared his uncle’s death to the death of George Floyd in the US.
A postmortem examination was inconclusive as to the cause of death, and no visible external injuries were detected, according to the Irish Mirror. Toxicology results are not expected to be ready for a number of weeks.