An Indian man living in Dublin says he is packing his bags for India after a violent attack by a group of teenagers left him injured and deeply shaken and has left many others in the community afraid to step outside.
The man, who asked not to be named, told The Journal he was walking home from Fairview Park on Sunday evening when one of three youths riding an electric scooter kicked him in the stomach.
“As I tried to walk away, two others joined in and started hitting me,” he said. “They continued kicking and punching even after I fell to the ground.”
One attacker grabbed his metal water bottle and struck him above the eye, leaving a deep cut that bled heavily. He was later taken to hospital, where doctors stitched the wound.
“It all happened so fast,” he recalled. “One moment I was walking home, the next I was on the ground with blood running down my face.”
The Irish police said they are investigating the assault, describing it as part of a recent spate of violent incidents targeting members of the Indian community.
The man said his parents in India were horrified when they learned what had happened. “They told me to come home immediately and I’m going. I’ve already booked my ticket,” reports PTI.
He added that fear is spreading among his friends. “Many are scared to go outside now. Some are even planning to go back to India because of what’s happening.”
On Wednesday, India’s Ambassador to Ireland, Akhilesh Mishra, met with Detective Inspector Tony Tighe of the Liaison and Protection Unit and Inspector Ciaran P Nunan of An Garda Sochna, the Indian Embassy in Ireland said in a social media post.
The meeting followed a strongly worded statement from Irish President Michael D Higgins, who “unequivocally” condemned the assaults. “The recent despicable attacks on members of the Indian community stand in stark contradiction to the values that we as a people hold dear,” he said on Tuesday.
His remarks came after the Archbishop of Dublin also spoke out, calling the assaults “truly shocking” and “unprovoked.”
On Monday, the Ireland India Council postponed its annual “India Day” celebrations, which had been scheduled for this Sunday in Dublin, citing security concerns for the community.
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With inputs from PTI