Gardaí have warned the organisers of this afternoon’s Black Lives Matter protest that they could be prosecuted for breaching COVID-19 restrictions.
The demonstration is due to get underway at the US embassy in Dublin this afternoon.
Calling for an end to Direct Provision and racism in Ireland, the protest has been organised in solidarity with demonstrations against police brutality across the US following the killing of George Floyd.
In a statement this afternoon, Gardaí noted that both the Chief Medical Officer and the Health Minister had urged people not to attend the protest.
They said organisers had been warned that they may be endangering public health and that investigators have no choice but to refer all breaches of COVID-19 regulations to the DPP.
“An Garda Síochána have spoken with the organisers in relation to that and have advised them of their responsibilities of social distancing under the guidelines," said Garda Superintendent Thomas Murphy.
STATEMENT ABOUT TODAY'S #BLMIRELAND protest by @masi_asylum @BlackPrideIre and @merj_ireland
Full text here: https://t.co/Ow10WKNiAG pic.twitter.com/B96E7f8OX0
— MERJ Ireland (@merj_ireland) June 6, 2020
Organisers say they understand the risk involved and have asked people to bring face masks and hand sanitisers wherever possible.
They said markers would also be installed in the area to help people stay two metres apart from each other.
If you wish to support the cause please donate to the community and bail out funds organised by local groups on the ground protesting. Don’t share photos or videos of protestors without blurring any recognisable person as you are putting them in danger. #BLMIreland
— MERJ Ireland (@merj_ireland) June 6, 2020
Speaking this afternoon, Minister Simon Harris urged people to protest in other ways while the COVID-19 restrictions remain in place.
“If there are four people at the American Embassy safely and socially distanced that is in line, if there are more than that, it is not,” he said.
“So, my appeal to people would be, there are other ways of making your protest known.
“You can write to the US Embassy; you should absolutely make your views known – protest is a really important and legitimate part of democracy but public health is really important too.”
Simon Harris. Image: Rory WalshProtest organiser Lucky Kambule said everyone is aware of the need to protect each other from the virus; however, the current situation is “demands for us to respond spontaneously as things happen.”
“These are things that we cannot really postpone and we can’t, as people from Ireland, sit back,” he said.
He said the demonstrations in recent days have given people the courage to speak up about racism in Ireland.
