Hundreds of people attended a march in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States on Tuesday evening in central Dublin.
The demonstration, organised by the Anti-Racism Network and the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland, is to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement and those affected by the recent shootings of young black men and woman in the US and the fatal shooting of five white police officers by a black suspect in Dallas in apparent retaliation.
Demonstrations are also take place at Daunt Square in Cork city and Eyre Square in Galway.
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In a Facebook post, the Anti-Racism Network wrote: "We condemn the horrific acts of violence perpetrated on a daily basis by US law enforcement against black bodies. In 2015, black males aged between 15 and 34 were five times more likely than white males of the same age to be killed by the police."
The Facebook post lists a number of young people killed by police shootings and warns of a growing “culture of impunity” within US law enforcement.
It adds that the “devaluing of dark skin” stretches beyond the borders of the US, citing the example of the thousands of refugees who have lost their lives while crossing the Mediterranean and highlighting the plight of those awaiting asylum in Ireland’s Direct Provision system.
The Dublin protest follows similar marches across the United States and a number of cities around the world in response to the police shootings of African American men in Minnesota and Louisiana.
The Louisiana and Minnesota shootings were the latest in a series of police killings that have triggered protests over police use of force against black suspects and racial disparities in the American criminal justice system.
Black Lives Matter arose in response to those killings to protest the treatment of black people by US law enforcement.
