7 May 1998 Edition
Outrage at Garda racist attack
By MICHAEL PIERSE
The Association of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Ireland yesterday claimed that the Garda Síochána conducted a violent attack on a refugee living in Drimnagh, a suburb of Dublin, on Friday morning 1 May.
Belmondo Wanete and his wife say they awoke on the morning of 1 May to banging on their front door. A group of armed people in civilian clothes burst into the house and immediately began beating him, without identifying themselves. While pointing a gun to his head, the attackers subjected the still unclothed man to a diatribe of racist derogatory; ``fucking black'', ``nigger'', ``monkey'', ``go back to Africa'' and so on. The family house was turned upside down and screaming children were put on the floor.
After being shown a search warrant, minus his name and address, Belmondo was cuffed and dragged naked to the police car. He was detained for 12 hours in Drimnagh Garda Station and was subjected to the vicious racism by gardai who urged him to imitate monkey noises.
Eventually brought before a court, the judge ordered that he be freed on the basis that it was a case of mistaken identity. However, the officers devised a new complaint - ``assault of a police officer.'' One of the eight ``blue flu'' Gardaí sprained his finger while beating the man.
The Association of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Ireland yesterday claimed that the Garda Síochána conducted a violent attack on a refugee living in Drimnagh, a suburb of Dublin, on Friday morning 1 May.
Belmondo Wanete and his wife say they awoke on the morning of 1 May to banging on their front door. A group of armed people in civilian clothes burst into the house and immediately began beating him, without identifying themselves. While pointing a gun to his head, the attackers subjected the still unclothed man to a diatribe of racist derogatory; ``fucking black'', ``nigger'', ``monkey'', ``go back to Africa'' and so on. The family house was turned upside down and screaming children were put on the floor.
After being shown a search warrant, minus his name and address, Belmondo was cuffed and dragged naked to the police car. He was detained for 12 hours in Drimnagh Garda Station and was subjected to the vicious racism by gardai who urged him to imitate monkey noises.
Eventually brought before a court, the judge ordered that he be freed on the basis that it was a case of mistaken identity. However, the officers devised a new complaint - ``assault of a police officer.'' One of the eight ``blue flu'' Gardaí sprained his finger while beating the man.