Lord Mayor of Dublin criticises people who say 'All Lives Matter'

Hazel Chu criticised people who make statements such as 'All Lives Matter' saying until equality has been reached for black lives, then "it doesn't matter about anyone else."

The Lord Mayor of Dublin has criticised people who have said “All Lives Matter.” 

In an online panel celebrating Douglass Week, Lord Mayor Hazel Chu said racism has “increased” in Ireland since her own mother emigrated to Ireland over 40 years ago.

“My mother would have experienced sporadic incidents of racism. Now, racism has significantly increased 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: “Until we have proper representation and provide equal and fair status for black people then it doesn’t matter about anyone else." The Lord Mayor clarified this comment after the webinar to say her intended meaning was "equality will only matter when we have equality for all".

The Lord Mayor shared with the panel of a time where she sat in the dining room where Fredrick Douglass once dined at the Mansion House in Dublin and cried because she worried her daughter would face the same racism she faces every day in Ireland.

“Until we get the increase of racism in Ireland in check, I have a fear that the work Douglass has done will be in vain.” 

Recently, Ms Chu has been subject to racial attacks whereby she was intimidated and harassed after a small protest took place outside the Mansion House.

Ms Chu also mentioned the motion in Cork City Council to rename a public area in Cork City to commemorate Fredrick Douglass, who taught anti-slavery lectures in Cork in 1845.

The webinar called ‘Our Strong Women’ discussed the role of the strong women in Ireland, feminism, intersectionality also features former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, Nettie Washington Douglass, Dr Ebun Joseph (UCD), Emma Dabiri (SOAS University).

On Friday Lord Mayor of Cork, Joe Kavanagh, said a remark he made suggesting that “all lives matter” while introducing an event commemorating the anti-slavery campaigner Frederick Douglass were “completely misinterpreted”.

Mr Kavanagh was introducing an event organised by the Cork Migrant Centre in honour of Mr Douglass entitled '18th Century to 21st Century Cork' when he said that, in his opinion, “all lives matter”.

Mr Kavanagh was questioned about his remarks during a Q&A session afterwards, where he said: “I don’t make distinctions between one grouping and another”.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Kavanagh said that he had been “completely and utterly misinterpreted”.

He said: “I fully support Black Lives Matter. I’m not supporting anyone who supports racism so, of course, I support Black Lives Matter.”

Note: This article was edited to clarify a quote from Ms Chu.