UNC: Tell country who ordered police to tear-gas peaceful protesters

CONDEMNING the use of tear gas to disperse peaceful protesters at the Queen’s Park Savannah (QPS) last Sunday, the leader and a deputy leader of the United National Congress (UNC) are calling for a full investigation.

Both Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Jearlean John said the country must know who gave instructions to tear-gas men, women and children who were demonstrating for their rights and freedoms.

“I call for a full investigation to be done, to determine where and how and when who gave instructions. Is it the same official who say, 'Remove the police merit list'?” Persad-Bissessar asked.

Asserting high officials intervened in the removal of the police merit list, she demanded, “I am asking, investigate and let the country know who gave that instruction (to use tear gas).

“And hello, before you even went there, you went prepared, that tear gas was take to the QPS. That tear gas did not arrive at the scene. The police went with it.

“Who gave you that instruction? Who told you to take tear gas to tear-gas your own citizens, man? Where did you get that instruction? The country deserves to know where that instruction came from.”

Zeroing on the same topic on the UNC Monday night Virtual Report, deputy political leader Jearlean John said there was no threat to warrant the police action.

“There were men, women and children, Rastafarians, Hindus, Christian and Muslims holding hands, singing hymns – When the Saints go Marching Home, Stand Up and Tell Me if You Love My Jesus and Move, Satan, Move Leh Me Pass.

“What about that is dangerous, or seditious or damaging or threatening? Is it because right after singing Move, Satan, Move Leh Me Pass they started chanting, 'Rowley gotta go'?

“Is that enough to spray down children with tear gas, even persons going about their legitimate business around the Savannah, just driving going about their business with glass wound up, were being sprayed and children inside vehicles were being hurt?”

A video was shown of an emotional woman who said while she was on her way to a supermarket, accompanied by two of her daughters and four-year-old grandson, teargas entered her vehicle, affecting all the occupants.

Persad-Bissessar read excerpts from a BBC World article about an innocent factory worker on her way to work in Chile, who went blind after being struck with a tear gas canister during a clash between security forces and protesters.

“When you were doing that, officers, did you understand, whoever gave instructions, that you put people’s lives in great danger?

“We should be really, really terrified. This Government is taking us down the road to what is happening in Venezuela – tear-gassing your own citizens for standing up for their rights. How much more despotic, dictatorial can they get?”

Persad-Bissessar challenged the police to investigate the Prime Minister’s admission that he breached the public health regulations when he sipped on a beer while in public at Castara.

“We have a man blatantly, openly admitting he broke the law, and nobody says anything, but yesterday (Sunday) you go and tear-gas people. You have a man admitting to breaking the law while you fighting down everybody else to obey the law. So what are you going to do with this admission?” she asked acting CoP Mc Donald Jacob.

“One law for the PNM and another law for the rest of us. There is a saying, some people are equal, but the PNM their family, friends and financiers are more equal than anyone else."