BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force came in for high praises from Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas for the manner in which its members brought under control, two incidents that occurred during the People’s Action Movement (PAM) organised march and rally on Friday (Jul. 5).
Speaking at yesterday’s (Jul. 8) Sitting of the National Assembly, Dr. Douglas said the Church Street incident “could have easily gotten out of control” were it not for the police.
“As a result of the disruption and the disorder that was being perpetrated on Church Street by the leadership or part of the leadership of PAM, we saw the police intervening. And in the end, in an attempt to control such unruly behaviour, were forced to put Lindsay Grant under arrest and who was eventually charged,” Dr. Douglas said.
He at first praised the law-abiding citizens and organisations for expressing disapproval of those who committed the offence of proceeding along the unauthorised route of Church Street.
“I want to commend firstly those decent law-abiding citizens and organisations who publicly condemned the behaviour of the former Leader of PAM and also the behaviour of those who followed him on Church Street in breaking the law.”
PM Douglas then went on to applaud the members of the Police Force for the self-control and tolerance exercised against, in what he claimed to be a deliberate political plot to create national instability.
“I would also, Mr. Speaker, like to commend the police, in particular, for the utmost restraint and patience exercised in order to bring under control an incident which was obviously planned; deliberately planned in order to create an image, an atmosphere of instability in our country so that they would be able, it appear, to pursue their own narrow political agenda.
“Mr. Speaker, their attempts…they failed, and so I want to commend the police for really using restraint and patience and exercising all of their professional training and skills in order to bring under control a matter which could have easily gotten out of control.”
The Prime Minister also condemned “what appeared to have been an attempt by persons, again misled to illegal actions, to converge on the Police Headquarters in Basseterre”.
“I want to thank again, the police who came into appropriate restraint action, preventing the crowds from converging in areas in front of Police Headquarters. And, thus, in the end were able to quell again, which was a deliberate attempt to create instability and insurrection in our country, St. Kitts and Nevis,” he added.
Following Grant’s arrest, many people had assembled in protest on Cayon Street outside Basseterre Police Station.
Additionally, while speaking in Parliament yesterday, PM Douglas lashed out against those whom he claimed wish to get into government through anarchy and confusion.
“I want to say, Mr. Speaker, that we shall do all that we can to ensure that the plans of those who wish to get into government through anarchy and confusion, that they will fail, because as long as the supporters of this government and our party and the law-abiding citizens in this country are ready to stand up in support of the security forces as they exercise their duties and responsibilities, we shall not descend into that state of anarchy that the opposition wishes and which they think should be created in order for them to get into office. It shall not happen!”
