Hundreds of local people attended a vigil to show support for Alanna Quinn Idris and her friend who were assaulted in Ballyfermot, Co Dublin, last week.
As reported in the Irish Examiner, people bearing green ribbons lined the streets outside Ballyfermot Civic Centre holding placards which read “solidarity” and “support the families”.
Ms Quinn Idris was told by doctors there is a 90 per cent chance she will lose sight in one of her eyes following the attack, with her injuries including a ruptured eyeball, broken teeth and broken bones in her cheek and eye socket.
A male friend she was with at the time was also assaulted and suffered knife injuries.
Speaking about the vigil, local representatives and community activists said that the event was about bringing the community together and showing their solidarity with the families involved.
Local youth worker Brendan Cummins, parish priest Father Michael Murtagh and local Sinn Féin councillor Daithí Doolan were among those who addressed the crowd.
Really great turnout for the vigil today pic.twitter.com/E0BUg78EfA
— Sean Murray (@SeanMJourno) January 8, 2022
“It’s important for us all to be here today as a community to show that violence is not okay for anybody regardless of your gender or age,” Lydia Marshall, a local who is a youth justice worker.
“Ballyfermot is a really good community. Showing up with no political banners, or anything like that, everyone’s leaving all that behind and we’re just showing up as human beings and standing in solidarity after the incident that happened last week.”
Solidarity-PBP TD Bríd Smith said: “It is important that everybody feels [that they’re] not alone. And that this is a good community, a positive community, it's very united. And, you know, the best foot forward from here on in.
“And I think it's really important for Alanna’s family that this show of solidarity and strength is coming from the bottom up, we’ve got everybody who’s anybody involved today.”
