On Wednesday, August 13, protesters gathered outside the Department of the Taoiseach, demanding immediate government action regarding the spate of recent attacks on Indian migrants in Ireland. Around 300 people attended the demonstration, with anti-racism activists delivering a letter to Micheál Martin’s office.

There have been multiple reports of assaults on Indian migrants over the last number of months, including most recently on Sunday, August 10, in Dublin’s Fairview Park. A man was attacked by a group of teenagers who kicked and punched him, and one of the assailants hit him above the eye with a metal water bottle, causing him to need eight stitches.

In light of the recent incidents, the Indian Embassy in Dublin has advised the community to take “reasonable precautions for their personal security” and to “avoid deserted areas”. Additionally, this year’s India Day celebration, which was due to take place in the capital on Sunday, August 17, has been postponed.

The “despicable attacks” have been condemned by President Michael D Higgins, who said they are in “stark contradiction to the values that we as people hold dear”.

He added, “Such acts diminish all of us and obscure the immeasurable benefits the people of India have brought to the life of this country… Their presence, their work, their culture, have been a source of enrichment and generosity to our shared life.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by QueerMyths (@queermyths)

Pradeep Mahadeshwar, an Indian-Irish visual artist and LGBTQ+ activist based in Dublin, spoke about the impact of these attacks on queer people of colour. He told GCN, “There is a growing community of Indians and South Asians within Ireland’s LGBTQIA+ population. Many live in larger urban centres, where visible minorities are disproportionately targeted in public spaces. Research from the Irish Network Against Racism (INAR) shows that people of colour, including queer migrants from the Global South, face verbal harassment, physical intimidation, and assault at higher rates than white LGBTQIA+ people.

“For many queer migrants, Ireland is chosen as a refuge from homophobia and transphobia in their countries of origin. Confronting racism here on the streets in broad daylight, often in spaces assumed to be safe – can be deeply destabilising, traumatic and significantly affecting mental health. The escalation in street-level hate incidents is alarming, and public safety for visibly queer people of colour is rapidly eroding.”

Mahadeshwar continued, “The government must act now and invest in a community-informed, sustainable action plan to address racist, homophobic and transphobic violence. Ministers meeting immigrants for photo opportunities and offering empty words of solidarity will not stop the attacks. In a short span of time, we’ve already seen the escalation from verbal abuse to people being left bleeding on the streets. Waiting any longer will only allow the violence to worsen.

“The frustrated, angry and aimless juveniles and youth falling for the far-right propaganda and targeting immigrants on the street are the direct product of decades of government’s failed economic policies, underinvestment in education, and the government’s inability to provide sustainable opportunities for Irish youth,” he concluded.

An Garda Síochána has also been criticised for its response, and suggesting there has not been a significant increase in attacks on Indian migrants in Ireland. Referencing an article in The Irish Times, Ruth Coppinger TD said, “Gardai haven’t a clear record of race or nationality or ethnic background! Why and how is this acceptable?”

She added, “People have a right to have crimes against them taken seriously. But we can’t rely on Gardai to challenge racism when their own record is so poor in dealing with people of colour, Travellers etc. We have to challenge racism from the ground up on every workplace, school, college, club and community.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ruth Coppinger (@ruth.coppinger)