Moonilal: Show empathy to protesters

Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal
Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal

OROPOUCHE East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal urged more empathy for pained communities.

He was addressing the House of Representatives on Tuesday the day after angry street protests in and around Port of Spain against Saturday's killing of three youths in the capital by police.

Moonilal was contributing to the debate on the Miscellaneous Provisions (Criminal Proceedings) Bill which was later passed without amendment.

Isaiah Roberts, 17, Leonardo Niko Williams, 17, and Fabien Richards, 21, were returning from a Cocorite party when they were shot dead. Police alleged they were fired upon and retaliated.

"I want to join the Leader of the Opposition (Kamla Persad-Bissessar) in complimenting the TT police service for their handling of events in the last 24 hours. We do not support lawbreaking.

"While we understand the passion, we understand the hurt, we understand the pain of persons who perceive that an injustice was done, we can't at any time condone lawbreaking."

Moonilal again commended the response of the police and other arms of the protective service, despite dubbing the Ministry of National Security "leaderless."

He said, "Yesterday's events highlight this lack of confidence in law enforcement, particularly policing. It is something we must meet and treat with. It is a national challenge.

"Unless we deal with that, we run a serious risk of those events repeating themselves.

"And dealing with those events is not just arms and ammunition and weapons and manpower. It is engagement with the communities. It is employment creation, it is social policy.

"It is understanding their perception of hurt and pain when something happens in their community. If we are involved with the communities, then there is less likelihood that (such protests) could happen."

He said such an intervention required leadership and an apt policy.

"It requires some help to ensure that those events yesterday – mayhem and madness – never occur again."

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"Moonilal: Show empathy to protesters"

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