Why did the police aim their guns at unarmed citizens as they attempted to take part on Friday’s Labour Day celebrations?
This was the question asked today by PSA president Watson Duke as he was speaking on CNC3’s The Morning Brew today.
“Why did the police force aim their gun in a crowd with women, men and children? Nobody was fighting, but they aimed their guns at a crowd. Why is it the police choked a man? An unarmed man, and aimed the gun at his groin area in the full view of everyone. He was not fighting. He was not doing anything wrong. These are questions the police service will have to ask and answer,” Duke said.
On Friday last at Charlie King Junction, Fyzabad, Natuc (National Trade Union Centre), members brought a halt to the activities outside the Oilfields Workers Trade Union’s office. Duke demanded that he be invited on stage with Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) members who had previously warned Natuc that they were not invited to this year’s celebration.
During a press conference on June 3 to discuss this year’s celebrations, head of the JTUM, Ancel Roget announced that Natuc had been “uninvited” to the national celebrations at Fyzabad after they claimed Natuc had refused to join hands with them to protest what they claimed was the vicious, anti-worker bill.
Duke stated that the Labour Day function was a public one, and it was the right of every person to gather outside and take part in the Labour Day festivities.
“Our constitutional rights, in according to section four of the Constitution says we have the right of freedom of movement, the right of equal treatment in public authority; the right for protection under the law; the right for equal treatment under the law,” he said.
Duke claims that the police blocked the road, but they gave no legitimate reason why.
“There was no private function in the Government Main Road? How can that be a private function in the Government’s Main Road without going through a rigorous legal process to do so?
“If the police were blocking the road on Carnival day you have to tell people well in advance that the police are blocking the road. You cannot block the road. I want to find out from the police service what legitimacy can a single trade union have to put up tents in the Government Main Road?” Duke said.
Duke said that no trade union can exclude another from the “Government Main Road,” and if they wanted to keep their Labour Day function private, then they should have held the function in a private building.