JACK WARNER, the former government minister who less than two years ago returned from political silence to campaign with the United National Congress (UNC) as it sought to be elected into office, has described the recently implemented no-protest zones AS an attempt to “muzzle” the population.
Warner, a former national security minister, yesterday openly criticised Government-implemented decisions during an interview with the TV6’s Morning Edition. Warner however maintained he was not sorry for supporting the party, and that his feedback was not intended to attack. He said anyone who felt as though his statements were an attack were “thin-skinned”.
Asked about Persad-Bissessar’s recent statements that the Government would not be moving to rescind the State of Emergency regulations that prohibit protests within 500 metres of 15 designated State institutions, Warner said if he were in government today, he would not have subscribed to banning people from protesting. He said without a means of demonstrating their dissent, citizens would likely find other ways.
Warner said he believed protests form part of democracy and said the Government came into power based on protest. He compared the present situation to the 1974 actions of the Blue River Action Committee, noting an attempt to muzzle the population would not work.
“I see this as an attempt to muzzle and I am saying it is a dangerous attempt. It is dangerous because people will find other means and will begin to start to be destructive in ways that this country cannot afford,” he stressed.
Warner said, “What you have to understand is that people are hurting and they have to find ways to express themselves. Once they are not of course destructive, if they are constructive so much the better, but not destructive, let them protest. Learn from what they are saying. Try to correct the errors of your ways, or our ways. But do not ban the protests, do not tell me you can’t protest around Parliament when this has been the norm since before I was born. Something has to be wrong.”
Warner was asked about recent protest prompted by the police shooting of Joshua Samaroo and the decision to lay charges against his common-law wife, Kaia Sealy. Referring to the demonstration near the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) last week that saw organiser Alyssa Phillip, her mother Camille Caresquero and blogger Jason Da Silva being arrested, he said he was amazed by the level of police presence designated to control the majority-female led protest.
“I asked myself if they understand what this is doing to the image of the country, if they understand what they are doing for tourists who want to come here, if they understand what they are doing for the kind of postings that we are having and increasing violence in the country.
“When you see police officers, in those numbers, armed to the teeth to put down a protest of 100 women, then something has to be drastically wrong. I was amazed and I am still amazed,” he said.
The no-protest zone regulations has been criticised by the Opposition and a coalition of trade unions on Tuesday called for it to be rescinded.
