GENERAL secretary of the National Trade Union Centre (NATUC) Michael Annisette said yesterday they were consulting a senior counsel to review last Friday’s arrest of activist Alyssa Phillip during Labour Day celebrations in Fyzabad.In a news conference hosted at the Seaman and Waterfront Workers Trade Union (SWWTU) Hall, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain, Annisette described Phillip’s arrest as not a simple matter, adding that he believed that there may have been constitutional issues in what transpired.“I’m not going to pronounce on it and we are engaging senior counsel to discuss it so that they will guide us in terms of the constitutionality that we see that was breached by the police,” he said.In a separate joint statement issued by Natuc and the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM), members expressed concern over what they described as “excessive armed police presence” at this year’s Labour Day celebrations.“Labour Day is a sacred occasion for workers and their families. It is a day that commemorates the struggles, sacrifices, and achievements of the working class and serves as a platform for the free and democratic expression of workers’ views and concerns. Regardless of what those views are, if there is one place where workers and citizens should feel free and safe to peacefully and democratically express their views and concerns, that place is Fyzabad and that day is Labour Day,” it said.It added that Labour Day was not a day for the “intimidating display of mighty and excessive force by the police, or for the thoughtless action of some officers, which actions only serve to create a major distraction from the spirit and intent of events of this sacred day.”It said however that the day was about celebrating the achievements and accomplishments that workers fought for and won through struggles and sacrifices of their fore fathers.“While the Labour Movement acknowledges that it did apply and receive permission to march on Labour Day, over the years it had become customary for diverse groups and individuals who are not trade unions to participate in Labour Day celebrations,” it said.It added that Annisette, “personally witnessed the detention of Alyssa Phillips and her mother, Camille Caresquero. What was indeed alarming was the conduct of certain police officers who, in the course of detaining Alyssa and her mother, physically roughed them up and pushed aside the teenage daughter of Michael Annisette, just to get at Alyssa.”“These three women did not deserve to be treated like common criminals. The excessive actions of the police were totally uncalled for, wholly unacceptable and cannot be justified under any circumstances because the peaceful actions of these three women posed no security threat or threat to the safety of the public,” they said.On Friday, Phillip and her mother, Camille Caresquero, were each been charged with three offences following their arrest during the Labour Day march in Fyzabad. Phillip was charged with leading a march and failing to call on participants to disperse, disorderly behaviour and resisting arrest. Caresquero was charged with being present at a march and failing to disperse, obstructing a police officer and resisting arrest.Both daughter and mother had been at the forefront of public demonstrations and vigils calling for justice and transparency, following the decision to charge Kaia Sealy with manslaughter and firearms-related offences in connection with the death of her husband, Joshua Samaroo, during a police-involved incident on January 20 in St Augustine.