Ireland: After the riots in Dublin, minority communities express their concern
Three days after unprecedented riots took place in the streets of the Irish capital in response to a stabbing attack outside a school, minority communities in Dublin are expressing their concern. Many immigrants are plagued by fear.
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A passer-by from the window of a damaged shop during violent protests on November 23, near O'Connell Street, Dublin, November 24, 2023. AFP - PAUL FAITH
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With our correspondent in Dublin, Clémence Pénard
On Thursday, a stabbing occurred outside a school. Five people were injured, including three young children. Shortly afterwards, in the evening, violent clashes, blamed on the far right, broke out, all against a backdrop of rumours spread about the nationality of the attacker, presented as Algerian.
Since then, some have been afraid. This is the case of Karthik, an Indian and a Muslim. The rioters stole his cash register, after smashing the windows of his store. "I think if you don't look like a white person, an Irishman, then anyone can be targeted. So, yes, right now, I'm scared. But when you come to a foreign country, you have to work, so we have no choice but not to come to work," he said.
«
There are a lot of police officers here, so it gives us a little bit of hope that nothing is going to happen," Karthik said. When I came here, I felt like Ireland was my own country. Those were the good times! But now I realize that we are not part of the country, we just live here. In fact, they tell us that we don't belong here.
»Brazilian immigrants, who are very numerous in Dublin, share the same feeling of anxiety. Maria arrived in Ireland six years ago. "I really don't feel safe," she says. I don't want to go downtown alone anymore. For a lot of racists, it was an open door. Now they just have some sort of pass to do whatever they want. The violence of the riots surprised me, but I think we felt it coming. People were really furious. With the arrival of Ukrainian refugees, the housing crisis has worsened. That's terrible.
»Since Thursday, more than 50 rioters have already appeared in court on charges of disturbing public order.
Read alsoViolence in Dublin: "We know that there is a far-right faction operating in Ireland"
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