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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Jun 19, CMC – Police Friday detained 24 year-old activist Alyssa Phillip, who is behind a series of protests calling for justice in the January 20 police involved shooting that left 31 year-old Joshua Samaroo dead and the subsequent laying of charges, including manslaughter against his 25-year-old common-law wife, Kaia Sealy, who was severely injured during the operation.
The police have not yet issued any statement regarding Phillip’s detention, but David Abdullah, the leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ), who has been present at the protests organised by Phillip, told reporters that prior to her participation in the Labour Day activities at Fyzabad, in southwestern Trinidad, he had given her an assurance that her presence “should not be any problem”.
But he said he later received a call indicating that the police “had detained Alyssa, I don’t know what the legal reason is for that.
“Apparently it was very intimidating because a number of heavily armed police…surrounded the group, including two of my colleagues and they detained Alyssa,” said Abdulla, a former trade unionist, participating in the Labour Day celebrations.
He said he had been informed that the police had taken the position that because the protest group was not a trade union they were not supposed to be in the march.
“That’s nonsense because anybody could be part of the demonstration. It is June 19 and the trade union movement has always welcomed people as part of the demonstration and it was very peaceful and …there is no reason to detain her and this is a straight case of an attempt to intimidate and harass Alyssa Phillip.
“She is fearless and it is an indication that the police are sacred of her and sacred of the fact that she is standing up for justice and standing up and speaking out against what she perceived to be wrong in this country and the police are scared of that and that is an indication of us heading towards a police state,” Abdullah said.
“Yes, we have a state of emergency, but there is no restriction under the regulations for demonstrations unless it is 500 meters of particular buildings or police stations, which itself is a violation of the constitutional rights of citizens.
“The state of emergency was explicitly declared as expressed in the proclamation by her Excellency, the President (Christine Kangaloo) to deal with gang violence…and threats against various public officials and threats from within the prisons and so on…”
Public protest, public demonstration and public expression and assembly was never a factor in the declaration of the state of emergency. And this is absolutely wrong, it is a travesty of our rights as citizens and it is an indication that the police have lost control because what they ought to be doing is not arresting Alyssa Phillip and other young people,” said Abdullah.
Phillip, who along with her mother, Camille Caresquero, have been granted TT$10,000 bail on charges stemming from a demonstration near the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions last month. They have been charged with disorderly behavior and with influencing public opinion in a manner prejudicial to public safety under the Emergency Powers Regulation.
Prior to her arrest on Friday, Phillip told the protest march that Trinidad and Tobago will not be decided by fear.
“It will not be decided by silence. It will not be decided by intimidation. It will be decided by citizens who refuse to abandon truth, justice, fairness and democracy. Let Labour Day be remembered as the day we reaffirm that no institution is greater than the people.
“No office is greater than the constitution. No authority is greater than justice. And no power is greater than truth. Justice, truth, accountability for every citizen, for every family, for Trinidad and Tobago,” she added.
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