Protest demanding Tobago beaches be reopened derailed by police presence

An attempt to protest the immediate reopening of beaches in Tobago was thwarted by a heavy police presence at Grange Bay, Mt Irvine, Tobago on Wednesday. Police said they were there for a routine roadblock.

Acting Insp Anderson Alfred of Shirvan Road Police Station told Newsday an anti-crime Christmas operation, including a series of roadblocks, would be held throughout Tobago over the course of December.

The operation began on Wednesday at Grange Bay, the day the protest was scheduled to take place.

In an interview with Newsday, one protester, who requested anonymity, said he was supposed to attend the demonstration but did not anticipate the heavy police presence.

“I drove past, but I was intimidated by the police presence,” he said, adding there were several heavily armed officers and a bus parked by the road.

“I assumed the bus was there to carry away demonstrators.”

He said he, his young son, his wife, and the other demonstrators had planned to sit quietly with their signs and voice their opinion on being in the tourism industry in Tobago during the pandemic.

“There are about 70-80 of us in Tobago (who) would get together and discuss the bad hand we are being dealt. There is no consideration for Tobago and its economy to use the beach to make money.”

He said he shared fliers on social media alerting the public to the demonstration and its location and believes the police were there to arrest protesters.

“I have a friend who was stopped, and he was told they were there to arrest protesters. That is probably why no one (showed).

“Maybe they got word of the demonstration and they decided to come out in their numbers.

“It wasn’t a protest. I wouldn’t even call it a demonstration. We just wanted to voice our opinion.”

Reid said only one protester, Odilly Belgrave of Mt Irvine, attended the demonstration and was quickly asked to leave by officers.