Who is Alyssa Phillip, the firebrand activist who has dominated headlines since her friend, Kaia Sealy, was severely injured in a police-involved shooting in January in which Sealy’s common-law husband, Joshua Samaroo, was killed?The Sunday Express made several attempts to secure a sit-down interview with Phillip to learn more about her background and motivations. However, Phillip was focused on organising protests in support of Sealy, who is facing eight charges including manslaughter, and for whom warrants have been issued.Instead, the Sunday Express spoke yesterday with Mariah Walcott, another prominent figure in the movement supporting Sealy.Walcott, Sealy and Phillip, all 24, attended Bishop Anstey High School, Port of Spain together and have remained close friends for more than a decade.According to Walcott, Phillip operates a baking business that distributes pastries throughout Trinidad and Tobago.“She has to wake up at 4 a.m. to begin her day as a baker and drive around to different locations,” Walcott said. “The business originally belonged to her father. While we were in school, he ran it, but after she graduated, he handed it over to her. She used her education and business skills to expand it. It has been in her family for many years and she has now taken it on.“Yet she still finds time to stand up against what she sees as injustice in this country. I don’t think Alyssa sees herself as an activist. I don’t see myself as an activist or public figure either. I am simply a human being trying to do the right thing. But I will say it again: I will not be gagged. We are trying to set an example.”Walcott argued that the recently introduced no-protest zones and Phillip’s arrest formed part of a broader effort to discourage public demonstrations.“I feel like implementing these no-protest zones and having Alyssa arrested are all part of intimidation tactics. They are going to these lengths to try to stop people,” she said.How the protests were bornWalcott has stood alongside Phillip since the first protest in support of Sealy.Even after Phillip was arrested, charged and later granted bail on Wednesday, and despite the establishment of no-protest zones that effectively restrict demonstrations near key State institutions, Walcott remains determined to continue the campaign.When Phillip was detained, Walcott led protesters from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to Woodford Square, where she addressed supporters and maintained that attempts to silence the movement had failed.Walcott said her decision to protest came naturally.“Alyssa and I made the decision together. We were both on the front line,” she said.“Alyssa and I were speaking when Kaia was shot. I was at work when I got the news. I left immediately and went to the hospital, but I wasn’t allowed to see her and nobody was answering questions.“That night I called Alyssa and we cried on the phone. A few days later she called me again and told me how upset she was. By then the video of the shooting had been released. She asked me, ‘What do you think about making some signs and organising a protest?’”A bond that enduresReflecting on the friendship that unites the three women, Walcott said their relationship stretches back more than 13 years.She described herself as outspoken, Phillip as a natural “firecracker,” and Sealy as the quiet and reserved member of the group. “Kaia was always calm and soft-spoken,” Walcott said. “That’s why seeing what happened to her has been so heartbreaking.”Walcott said she never hesitated when Phillip suggested organising a protest.“I grew up poor and always wanted better for myself and the people around me. When Alyssa suggested the protest, I didn’t need to think twice. The answer was yes. We were all very close.”She acknowledged receiving threats but said they have not deterred her.“Even as tensions rise, I haven’t been scared. People around me are concerned, but everyone who knows me knows this is who I am. I am more cautious because I have two children and work in the public sector. But I will not be gagged. We are continuing despite arrests and no-protest zones. We will find other ways.”Walcott said she believes remaining silent would set the wrong example for future generations. “If I don’t speak up, what example am I setting for my children and the children to come?” she asked.Sealy gratefulfor supportWalcott said Sealy has been deeply moved by the support she has received.“I think Kaia is overwhelmed and humbled by the support. She constantly says thank you. She never imagined she would be in a situation like this. Her faith in God has never wavered, no matter how difficult things have become. She is grateful to everyone who has sacrificed to support her.”Walcott said the friendship between herself and Sealy extends beyond their school years.“I will do anything for Kaia. She is family to me,” she said. “There were times growing up when I had nowhere to go. I could always knock on Kaia’s door and I would have somewhere to sleep and something to eat. Her family became a second family to me.“To see her in the position she is in now breaks my heart. We are both mothers. We experienced pregnancy around the same time and built our families together. I will do anything legally and humanely to help her get justice, even though her life will never be the same.”Walcott also praised Phillip for the support she has provided throughout the years.“Nobody knows how hard Alyssa works,” she said. “At one point I was laid off and struggling. I called her crying and she told me, ‘Come tomorrow morning and start working if you want the job.’ We worked side by side making pies and selling them throughout Port of Spain. We are like sisters.”Asked about whether she is related to Nobel laureate Sir Derek Walcott, Mariah said she was unsure but acknowledged her lifelong love for literature and writing.“I’m not sure if we’re related, but it would make sense,” she said with a laugh. “I’ve always loved literature, writing, poetry and music.”