Police have said that the safety and security of all Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders, diplomats, and officials who are at the CARICOM summit will not be compromised. They said this as they arrested 18 people, including four women, who were protesting outside the place where the CARICOM summit is being held.
“Police want the public to know that the safety and security of ALL Diplomats attending CARICOM will be taken seriously and the law will be followed as strictly as possible. The public should also try to stay away from the conference area as much as possible over the next two days, the police said in a statement.
Police said that the people who were arrested did not have the right paperwork to hold a protest. They were told to break up and leave the area right away, but they refused. The 18 people were arrested for illegally gathering together, fighting with police, and being a nuisance.
Wayne Munroe, the Minister of National Security, told The Tribune that the property had to be locked up for the high-level event.
“The area is being treated as sterile because the heads, including the Haitian President, are there. “Every constitutionally guaranteed right, except the Article 18 right to not be forced to work, has an exception when it comes to security,” Munroe said.
“The RBPF and its partners in law enforcement are doing what they need to do to keep the CARICOM meeting safe. You can look it up and see that the answer is standard… “It’s not helpful to encourage irresponsible behavior,” he added.
Police said that Lincoln Bain, the leader of a small political party on the fringes, was one of the people who were arrested. Bain streamed the protest live on social media.
“The police came to me and said they wanted to talk to me, but they wanted me to walk with them across the street. I said I’m not going in no bush. They wanted me to go talk to them over there in the bush. In the end, they chose to talk to me right here… He told them, “You can’t all be here.” He said ‘did you get a permit?’ I said ‘no law requires us to get a permit.’ I asked, “By what law do we need a permit?”
Friday evening is the end of the CARICOM summit.
