(Trinidad Express) A police investigation has been launched into an act of alleged political violence during a rally in the Oropouche West constituency on Saturday.
The incident reportedly occurred along Suchit Trace, Debe, as a vehicle transporting a group of teenagers was blocked in a People’s National Movement (PNM) rally.
An 11-second video posted to social media shows a man wearing a PNM t-shirt hurling threats at two persons in the back seat.
The man was holding a stick in his hands.
A woman’s voice was heard screaming in the background, calling on the man to “stop it”.
The video triggered outrage on social media as persons called for an immediate investigation.
An eyewitness said the vehicle carrying the teenagers attempted to pass through the PNM rally, when one of the boys shouted “We voting back Kamla”.
The eyewitness said the man became enraged and plunged at the boys.
United National Congress (UNC) candidate for Oropouche West, Dave Tancoo, said he was saddened by the incident.
He said the video was forwarded to Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith.
Tancoo said, “What I saw on the video is all that I have, I am trying to get in contact with the individuals involved. I think any act of aggression, any act of terrorism and assault like that is untenable.
It looks like the car was blocked from all sides as the man was attacking individuals. I forwarded video to the Commissioner of Police who said he was awaiting a police report.”
Tancoo said the teenage boys were not involved in the UNC rally, which was also held on Saturday.
“These boys are not UNC activists. But I can see from the video that the man who attacked them was wearing a PNM jersey and vehicles around had PNM flags,” he said.
Tancoo also called his opponent, PNM candidate Lea Ramoutar, to publicly condemn the act.
The Express reached out to Ramoutar but she did not immediately respond.