Corbin says protests will continue
The PNCR continued its protest with another march through the city streets yesterday and party leader Robert Corbin said the “struggle” had to be made a national one.
Yesterday’s march, which began at the corner of D’Urban Street and Mandela Avenue with a few hundred protesters, ended in a rally at Parade Ground.
“We are going to be here for a long, long time,” Corbin said at the rally, as this was just the beginning of a long journey. He called on other citizens to join in.
In addressing a key issue that the party was protesting, namely the high cost of living, Corbin said this was because of a “visionless government”. He reminded the protesters about the late president LFS Burnham’s plans for growing more food and said the PPP had previously opposed the idea. He said it was now embracing the notion “like Burnham spirit possess all of them” and the group erupted into loud cheers. On food shortages, he said the government was blaming external factors, but asserted that people had a right to complain as salaries were too low VAT too high.
Calling for continued support for the protests, he said: “We must resolve that what we have started last week must continue until we can have a satisfactory response.” The opposition leader said that protests would continue as “once there is tension, once there is conflict, once there is inequitable opportunity… no group can feel safe.”
He declared that change will not happen by magic but when citizens stand up and say “enough is enough.” He announced that the party will be holding meetings across the country and shouted, “Are you ready?” to the rousing response “yes.”
The protests, which began shortly after the licence of CNS TV 6 was suspended for four months also encompasses several other issues affecting citizens countrywide, the party had said. Corbin had said that if the ban was not lifted against TV 6, there would be protests that would make the hosting of the Caribbean Festival of Arts here in August “unmanageable.” Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony has since called the stance “unreasonable.”
The protests began with a march around the city on Friday last. Since then, the PNCR had written to the Caricom Chairman and Secretary-General about its concerns and mounted a picketing exercise at Caricom Headquar-ters. Another such exercise was held on Tuesday during Cabinet meeting and another during the launch of Carifesta X on Wednesday.
