I worry that the subject of much Irish media discussion of #BLMIreland has been described as 'casual racism' (e.g. @rteliveline), which sounds, to the white person's ear, not that bad, when in fact it is hugely damaging to people to experience it every single day of their lives.
If you've experienced everyday racism, you'll know that it can change the things you do everyday, how you get to school/work, where you shop, who you see, how you dress, how you speak. For kids AND adults, it can be deeply traumatic. #BLMIreland
The produced tone of this media conversation as 'casual racism' is also dangerous because it denies the violence that goes on here in Ireland experienced by people too scared to describe it to journalists, too afraid to go to protests. #BLMIreland
Failures to address hate crime meant that the deaths of teenager Toyosi Shittabey and taxi-driver Moses Ebohon Ikpefua have not met justice. #BLMIreland
Lack of care by the Irish state means they don't even KNOW the causes of a third of deaths in Direct Provision because no investigations are carried out. The @DeptJusticeIRL didn't care to ask. irr.org.uk/news/deaths-in… #BLMIreland
We know very few of the names of people who have died in Direct Provision, but those we do know about reinforce everything we know about this system and how it kills its residents.
Emmanuel Marcel Landa, a Congolese former diplomat, died in Direct Provision of heart problems after a heart attack during deportation. He had been in DP for 7 years. #BLMIreland
Tahir Mahmood died, aged 48, leaving behind a wife and 2 kids in Direct Provision. He was known to need a diet adapted for a medical condition, and was not given it. He had been refused help to get appropriate access to hospital repeatedly during his time in DP. #BLMIreland
In 2016, a Korean woman took her own life in Direct Provision leaving behind a 5 year old son, believing he would be better off without her. We don't know her name. #BLMIreland
Sylva Tukula, a transgender woman forced to live in a male-only Direct Provision centre, died and was buried without her friends being notified about the funeral. #BLMIreland
There are no names available for most of the people who have died in Direct Provision. We do not know how many of them died. We do know that many of the medical causes are likely to be directly related to the level of care they received in Direct Provision. #BLMIreland
Many of the protests this week referenced the American cases, but many Irish people still don't know the names of the deceased Toyosi Shittabey, Moses Ebohon Ikpefua, Emanuel Marcel Landa, Tahir Mahmood or Sylva Tutula. #BLMIreland
But as well as the deceased we know of, there are thousands of victims of racist violence in Ireland who have no justice for what they experience because of ineffective policing of hate crime, fear of retaliation, and inadequate supports for victims. #BLMIreland
It's not good enough to only talk about Black Lives in the USA without educating ourselves on what is happening here. Below are a few links if you'd like to learn more about the brutality of racism, including racist policing, in Ireland and across Europe. #BLMIreland
Here's the @INARIreland submission to the Commission on the Future of Policing which shows why hate crimes don't get justice here in Ireland. inar.ie/wp-content/upl…
Here's a report from @HHRGatUL on what happens to hate crimes if they get reported to the Gardai iccl.ie/wp-content/upl…
Here's the @FacingFactsEU report on Ireland's failure to address hate crime facingfacts.eu/final-ireland-…
Here's the Irish civil society report to the @UN Committee on Racism which details racial profiling and its effects inar.ie/wp-content/upl…
Here's a report from @ENAREurope that details institutional racism in the criminal justice system in Ireland enar-eu.org/IMG/pdf/shadow…
