A serious disturbance, in which bikes were stamped on and thrown around, unfolded on a Dublin street. It was captured on video, though how it started is not clear.
A number of Deliveroo cyclists have said they are regularly coming under attack in Dublin. And they believe there is a racist motive to some of the incidents.
They are planning a protest on O’Connell St in the city centre on Saturday week, March 2nd, at 2pm.
Brazilian Deliveroo cyclists have called a number of radio stations and said they believe teenagers are communicating on social media with a view to staging harassment and abuse and now physical attacks.
They have said such large numbers of teenagers are appearing at the same time, the gatherings must be organised.
Meanwhile, a serious incident occurred on Westmoreland St in Dublin’s south inner city on Wednesday night.
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It was filmed and the footage has begun to circulate online. It appears bikes owned by members of both groups were damaged.
And it is also not clear how the disturbance started. The footage begins when the disorder is already well underway.
However, that incident aside; Brazilian Deliveroo cyclists have said they feel more fearful in the city generally.
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And they say Wednesday night’s incident – whoever caused it or was the aggressor – comes after harassment of foreign Deliveroo cyclists had increased.
A number of them said they agreed not to speak to each other in Portuguese in some parts of Dublin for fear of drawing attention and being harassed, intimidated or even attacked.
Other callers to radio stations such as RTE Radio One and 98FM also said it appeared foreign students were also being attacked.
The Deliveroo cyclists are more identifiable because of the distinctive branded bags they carry and jackets they wear when making deliveries from restaurants.
But a number of teachers from schools that teach English to foreign students have spoken of what appears to be an increase in harassment – including verbal abuse and spitting – on students in Dublin.
Some of the Deliveroo cyclists who have spoken publicly say they regularly collect meals for delivery from the same restaurants.
Because they are spotted there and are very visible, those who want to harass or attack them can wait near the restaurants and then appear, as a flash mob, to attack or harass them going about their work.
Commenting on the claims, Deliveroo said: “Riders work hard to bring customers amazing meals and should be able to do so without being subject to harassment or threats of violence.”
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