Supporters of Kaia Sealy and Joshua Samaroo will be calling for a national shutdown by civil society on June 5.Leading the charge in a number of demonstrations since last week, activist Alyssa Phillip said yesterday the movement remains undeterred by the police’s establishment of no-protest zones under the state of emergency.
Kaia Sealy
Phillip was arrested last Wednesday while protesting near the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Port of Spain.She is scheduled to appear before a Port of Spain magistrate today.In a telephone interview yesterday, she said the movement seeking justice for Samaroo and Sealy has not been muzzled.She said a silent protest in St James last Friday was also intended to represent the silence of those who were not speaking out on the issue.Phillip called on the national community to act, saying the issue extended beyond Sealy and was about fairness and trust in the country’s institutions such as the justice system.She said the movement was calling on people to stay home from work and other activities, and to post on social media that they had stayed home in protest.Phillip said it was hoped that more people would participate, noting that many were afraid to take part in public protests.Phillip said while she held a lot of respect for Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, she believes she has not shown enough heart towards the Sealy situation.Phillip said the movement was also distancing itself from any inference from criminal connections.This followed Persad-Bissessar’s remarks that sections of the Opposition, protesters, trade unions and entertainers supporting the movement were backing a call for violent criminal gangs to unite against law enforcement and law-abiding citizens.The PM was responding to a video in which calls were made for rival gangs to make peace, in opposition of a system of divide and rule.Phillip said none of the activists heading the movement were gang-affiliated and emphasised that people had a right to speak on issues and to protest.She went on to thank a number of artistes who have publicly supported the movement, including soca star Nailah Blackman.
