{"id":224146,"date":"2021-01-03T09:24:02","date_gmt":"2021-01-03T09:24:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=224146"},"modified":"2021-01-06T05:03:01","modified_gmt":"2021-01-06T05:03:01","slug":"anger-at-media-blackout-of-violent-protests-in-blanchardstown-after-george-nkencho-shooting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=224146","title":{"rendered":"Anger at media blackout of violent protests in Blanchardstown after George Nkencho shooting"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr Matt Tracey \u2013 gript.ie Jan 1, 2021<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Residents of Blanchardstown and other parts of north county Dublin say they have endured 24 hours of violence and intimidation following the death of\u00a0George Nkencho, an African man who was shot by Gardai after he attacked staff at a Eurospar armed with a knife.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to eyewitnesses, Mr Nkencho punched a manager in the store, and threatened staff with a knife. Garda\u00ed\u00a0followed him out of the shop to his home, repeatedly asking him to drop his weapon. The\u00a0Armed Support Unit fired fatal shots after Mr Nkencho lunged at them with the knife.<\/p>\n

Political figures such as Paul Murphy TD, Senator Lynn Ruane, Ruth Coppinger and others seemed keen to make race an issue in the shooting, with Murphy asking \u201cDid the fact that he was a black man affect the decisions the Garda\u00ed made?\u201d No evidence has been proffered to date to suggest that race had any bearing on the Garda\u00ed actions<\/p>\n

Protests were held at Blanchardstown Garda Station yesterday, which were reported as being largely peaceful, but locals say that violence and intimidation quickly followed as large groups of protestors attacked shoppers, buses, gardai in hours of mayhem across the area.<\/p>\n

One woman told Gript.ie that people were \u201ctrapped in their homes\u201d and \u201cterrified\u201d on New Year\u2019s Eve as gangs of\u00a0protesters engaged in a lengthy stand off with the Garda\u00ed around Hartstown.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were afraid to leave the house. We felt terrified. The people in the Spar had to be locked in earlier, and people were being threatened. There was a garda helicopter over the area for hours, and they were throwing rocks and fireworks at the Gardai,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She asserted that racism \u201cwasn\u2019t the issue here\u201d and was strongly critical of what she described as a \u201cmedia blackout\u201d on the disturbances accompanying the protests. Some of the videos posted on social media have been described as disturbing.<\/p>\n

The protest at the Blanchardstown Garda Station was tense at times.<\/p>\n

\n

Meanwhile live at Blanchardstown garda station pic.twitter.com\/t8qYUOrZrj<\/a><\/p>\n

— Mark Mc Neill (@fuzzyboy1979) December 31, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n