Enterprise residents have turned down an invitation to participate in a “peace walk” in the area tomorrow (Sunday) organised by the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO), which is expected to be attended by senior police officers and politicians.
One group of residents who said they would not take part were planning their own walk for July 25.
Their event will be sponsored by Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader Jack Warner.
“We heard (Johnny) Abraham and the police will be in this march. I doubt I will take part,” Taky Ifill, one of the organisers of the July 25 walk, told the T&T Guardian yesterday.
She said they had initially planned their walk for today but postponed it because more sponsors wanted to come on board and they wanted to have a mini-football match at the end.
Ifill said alleged gang members in Enterprise were approached to participate in their march and had accepted.
Central Division head Sen Supt Johnny Abraham, Supt Bedassie and acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams were invited to Sunday’s peace walk and have accepted, IRO president Harrypersad Maharaj confirmed.
“We need protection in the area,” he said.
Abraham, contacted on the matter, said by Saturday night he would know if he was going or not.
As for rumours that a plan was afoot to disrupt the peace walk, Ifill said she honestly had not heard of such.
Ifill said even though the ILP was sponsoring their walk, residents did not want it to be political and asked for purple jerseys.
“It’s a non-political colour.” She said residents wanted to make their own statement.
Maharaj said Chaguanas East MP Stephen Cadiz and Chaguanas Mayor Gopaul Boodhan would take part in the peace walk on Sunday.
Asked if the IRO invited Enterprise residents, Maharaj said, “We didn’t go around the area with a mike.”
“We invited the community through the media and through the four mosques in Enterprise, the Presbyterian and Baptist churches, and the Esmeralda Sports Club. I think people have been very cooperative. Our peace walk is not connected to politics. We will be wearing our religious garb, not jerseys.”
More info
Participants will assemble at Esmeralda Recreation Ground, Enterprise, at 6 am and pray for one hour. Hindu, Muslim, Bahai and Orissa prayers will be offered. Participants will then proceed in a westerly direction along the Southern Main Road, north into Connector Road, then east along the Southern Main Road to finish at the starting point.