President of the St.Vincent and the Grenadines Public Service Union, Elroy Boucher has expressed disappointment with the Commissioner of Police response to the PSU’s letters of August 25th and 26th notifying him of their intention to protest in capital Kingstown from September 7 – 10 2021.
In his response to the PSU’s letters Commissioner Colin John cited sections of the Public Order Act not to grant permission for the protest at least not in the areas where the PSU identified citing the preservation of order and public safety.
The protests which were initially slated to occur in front of the Kingstown Vegetable Market, at Paul’s Avenue and White Chapel Road were restricted to the Highway Trading-Arnos Vale and the Sion Hill intersection.
The PSU president said they will be looking at a way forward at a meeting with their membership virtually Thursday night.
In relation to the procession guidelines laid out by the Commissioner of Police in his response to the union’s request letter, Boucher said they will decide where to hold the procession at Thursday’s meeting.
The PSU president further noted that legal action may be taken in the future to challenge the interpretation of the law by the Commissioner of Police, however he noted the court system does take time, and therefore this route will not be taken to handle the current situation.
Speaking with SVGTV News outside the Magistrate Court in Kingstown yesterday where he was lending support to two members of the NDP who were arrested and charged in relation to last month’s protest was Opposition Leader Dr. Godwin Friday who shared his frustration with the position being taken by the Commissioner of Police in relation to their own protest action planned for September 9th during the next session of parliament.
