Protester: 'We were paid in grief'

Angry Port of Spain residents say if they were paid to protest, that payment was received in grief.

They made the statement amid protests in the city yesterday.

The comment was a response to Minister of National Security Stuart Young, who claimed the protesters were being paid to wreak havoc on the nation’s capital.

A protester cited police-involved shootings in Carenage, Chaguanas and Sea Lots.

“Yes, we getting paid...We getting paid in grief. And right now we fed up.”

Protesters took to the streets, blocking roads with burning debris and marching in protest against police killings.

The most recent were those of Israel Clinton, Noel Diamond, and Joel Jacob, who were shot dead by police on Saturday afternoon in Second Caledonia, Morvant.

CCTV footage picked up the incident, in which contrary to a police report that they were fired at, police appeared to open fire on the men.

Up to press time no one had been charged in relation to the shooting. Investigations have been launched by the Professional Standards Bureau and the Police Complaints Authority into the shootings.