People want their cries to be heard

POLITICAL leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) David Abdulah said the protests in Port of Spain on Tuesday should serve as a “wake-up call” to those who hold economic and political power in TT. He said until those leaders make the time to listen to citizens’ cries, such demonstrations will continue.

The MSJ held a press conference at its headquarters on Lord Street, San Fernando on Tuesday to address the protests on Tuesday linked to the police shooting of three men – Joel Jacob, Israel Clinton and Noel Diamond.

Abdulah said he disagrees with the “simplistic approach” of National Security Minister Stuart Young and Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith in response to the protests. He believes the officers involved should be suspended.

On Tuesday, Young said people were paid to stage the protests. And at a press conference in Port of Spain on Wednesday, Griffith said he “begged to differ” with the belief that the protests were linked to the killing of the three men. Instead, he described it as a “well-orchestrated plan to destabilise the country.”

In response to this, Abdulah said, “We have warned TT on more than one occasion in these media conferences, in various statements we have made from time to time, we have warned that there are communities that will explode someday – not because we want them to explode – but because the pressure, the frustration, the hate, the anger builds up to a point where it will explode and it is clear that was what happened…The sense of anger that came out amongst people could not have been paid for.”

He said people simply want to be heard, adding that he has walked through many “neglected” communities and spoke to residents.

“Young people, in particular, are frustrated because they’re unemployed, the education system has been failing them…Unless we address the causes of the problems in our criminal justice system, we will have more events like what happened. And the response from those in authority cannot be that it was people being paid.

“We have to recognise there’s a way to deal with the injustice and the discrimination that communities are feeling and experiencing. And the way for that is for national leadership to be able to listen to the cries of people, people have to be heard and then having listened to them and understanding their situation, working with them to arrive at the sustainable solutions.”

He believes TT is a “broken” country, filled with people who are continually marginalised and discriminated and experience injustice “at all levels.

“Some (people) are not broken. For some, life is good. But for many, life is hard and difficult, and for many, they are drowning in difficulties and they feel nobody is listening to them; nobody is concerned about them. “

He said it is not the time for leaders to be arrogant and blame victims.

“We cannot sustain a country where the criminal justice system just does not work. We cannot sustain a country where people are discriminated against because of where they live or how they look, class and colour, race and other factors that are still very much alive in this society.”

He said while he does not condone violence and is “completely against” gang involvement, peaceful protests are “not always effective.”

“They are necessary because people need to express their interests and their concerns and problems and one way of doing so democratically is to engage in peaceful protest. It can be very effective…Peaceful protests do advance a cause.”

But he added, “When it comes to the institutional arrangements of a dysfunctional system of parliament or a cabinet system that does not work in the interest of people of changing the judicial system and the criminal justice system, protests and lobbying and advocating have not yet been able to change those things because the status quo – and those who benefit from the status quo – benefit from that and therefore they’re resistant to change.”

Asked by Newsday what his personal definition of justice is, he said, “It is that world where not only are people’s rights respected and those people benefit from those rights to have a decent life in the society, to be able to live in peace and in harmony, to have equal opportunities to advance…

“So, justice means having an economic system that serves the good of all not the good of a few so the many can benefit from the many resources of this country and not be excluded.”