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The mayor of Dublin has criticized people who have said “All lives matter”.
In an online panel celebrating Douglass Week, Mayor Hazel Chu said that racism has “increased” in Ireland since her own mother immigrated to Ireland more than 40 years ago.
“My mother would have experienced sporadic incidents of racism. Now, racism has increased significantly in Ireland. ”
Hazel Chu, who was born in Dublin to Chinese parents, said: “The fact that people have come out and said ‘All lives matter’, they don’t understand.
Ms. Chu said that until we have “adequate representation and provide equal and just status for black people” around the world, there will be “no real equality.”
The mayor shared with the panel a moment when she sat in the dining room where Fredrick Douglass once dined at the Mansion House in Dublin and cried because she was concerned that her daughter would face the same racism she faces every day in Ireland.
“Until we control the rise of racism in Ireland, I fear that the work Douglass has done will be in vain.”
Recently, Ms. Chu has been subjected to racial attacks in which she was intimidated and harassed after a small protest took place in front of the Mansion House.
Ms. Chu also mentioned the motion in Cork City Council to change the name of a public area in Cork City to commemorate Fredrick Douglass, who lectured against slavery in Cork in 1845.
The webinar called ‘Our Strong Women’ discussed the role of strong women in Ireland, feminism, intersectionality and also features former Irish President Mary Robinson, Nettie Washington Douglass, Dr Ebun Joseph (UCD), Emma Dabiri (SOAS University).
On Friday, Cork Mayor Joe Kavanagh said a comment he made suggesting “all lives matter” when hosting an event commemorating anti-slavery activist Frederick Douglass was “completely misunderstood.”
Mr. Kavanagh was presenting an event organized by the Cork Migrant Center in honor of Mr. Douglass entitled ‘Cork from the 18th century to the 21st century’ when he said that, in his opinion, “all lives matter”.
Mr. Kavanagh was questioned about his comments during a subsequent question and answer session, where he said: “I do not distinguish between one group and another.”
Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Kavanagh said he had been “completely misunderstood”.
He said: “I fully support Black Lives Matter. I am not supporting anyone who supports racism, so of course I support Black Lives Matter. “
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