Following the far-right violence that broke out in Dublin last night, November 23, the Queer Spectrum Film Festival has been cancelled by organisers.
Launched by Queer Asian Pride Ireland (QAPI), the Queer Spectrum Film Festival was due to take place on November 25 at Dublin’s Project Arts Centre. The festival was dedicated to showcasing the lives and stories of LGBTQ+ people of colour from around the world and providing a “safe and welcoming space” for queer filmmakers of colour.
However, the Queer Spectrum Film Festival was cancelled by organisers ahead of the day of the event due to safety concerns after widespread violence broke out in Dublin, particularly targeting non-nationals and people of colour. The Dublin riots followed a brutal knife attack that took place at a school at Parnell Square, where three children and an adult were injured.
The perpetrator of the attack, who was stopped by passers-by and disarmed, was also seriously injured and has been labelled as a person of interest by Gardaí. After the attack, crowds began to gather in the city centre and violence escalated, with rioters attacking police officers, setting cars and public transport on fire, and smashing and looting shops.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris described the chaos that broke out in Dublin last night as the work of a “complete lunatic faction driven by far-right ideology”. Many were chanting anti-immigration slogans while carrying out the violence.
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In a statement released today, Queer Asian Pride Ireland said: “In light of recent events, we’ve made the tough call to cancel tomorrow’s Queer Spectrum Film Festival. Many of us are feeling vulnerable, and the safety of our LGBTQIA+ family, QPOC, immigrants, and the Project Arts Center team is our top priority.”
“We strongly condemn any violence against innocent people and threats to public property. The presence of far-right-sponsored hate, divisive politics, and mindless violence in Ireland is not a reflection of the inclusive and vibrant communities we aspire to foster,” the statement further read. “Now more than ever, we need to stand together. Let us reject attempts to halt our evolution, stifle creativity, and hinder the creation of a new, inclusive culture and society.”
It concluded, “Our hearts go out to the victims and their families affected by the knife violence yesterday, and we offer our sincere support. In these challenging times, don’t panic; stay calm, and stay safe. Look after each other, stay connected, and with renewed strength and love, we will meet again.”
A march for Palestine due to take place tomorrow was also deferred to December 2 in light of the violent events in Dublin. According to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, the costs of last night’s riots are in the tens of millions of euro. He added that new laws will be introduced to allow Gardaí better use of CCTV footage as evidence and that new hate crime legislation will be implemented in Ireland.
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