All members of the law enforcement agencies, including the T&T Police Service (TTPS) and the T&T Defence Force, are on standby to deter any act of civil disobedience aimed at disrupting traffic on Monday.
The Government is also asking the public to desist from actions following a call shared on social media on Sunday for motorists to block all major roadways and intersections from 6 am.
The message, which has been shared all social media platforms and through WhatsApp read: “Are you fed-up of taxes? Are you fed-up of increase fuel prices? Are you fed-up of the poor governance? Are you fed-up of the secret deals? Well this is your opportunity to take a stand.”
It called on “all concerned citizens” to park their respective vehicles at strategic locations and “shut down” the country.
In response, Communications Minister Stuart Young described the message as “irresponsible, unpatriotic and designed to negatively affect law-abiding citizens.”
“Please do not fall prey to requests to engage in this type of destructive behaviour,” Young said in a statement issued by the Ministry of Communications.
He also warned those who may be tempted to comply.
“The source to create disruptive events is hereby highlighted, so that should any persons decide to break the laws of T&T, as they are being called to do, civic-minded citizens will know in advance who has set about to disrupt our twin island state.”
Young pointed fingers at the Opposition, the United National Congress (UNC), along with other members of the public, as being responsible for the planned protest action.
But UNC member Dr Roodal Moonilal said it was “scandalous” for Young to blame the Opposition and added that the minister’s message in the release is “threatening, intimidating and harassing” towards members of the public.
Moonilal said if Young has information of the person or organisation behind the message he should file a report with the Police Service.
“This is a puerile and trivial matter that ought not to be taking the attention of a senior Cabinet minister…if anyone on the internet or Facebook, as the case may be, is advising persons to break the law this is a breach of the law and the matter should properly be reported to the police,” Moonilal said.
He said the police can take action against anyone —whether the message was placed on the internet, Facebook or whether they put up a placard somewhere— who is hell-bent on breaking the law or advising persons to break the law.
“This is not a matter for a minister, this is a matter if it is genuine for the police. The minister is certainly politicising this matter as if it is the Opposition, which is childish and puerile,” Moonilal said.
Moonilal advised Young, who also holds the portfolio of Minister of National Security, to focus on the increasing murder rate which now stands at 408, with eight murders being recorded in the last seven days.
Alderwoman at the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, Marisa Ramlogan, who shared the message on Facebook, denied she was behind the call for the blockage of all major roadways and intersections.
“This is not my protest or whatever they are calling this thing. It circulated on WhatsApp and it was all over and I just shared it but I did not plan it, it’s not mine or anything like that,” Ramlogan said.
“I am seeing Senator Avinash Singh talking about sedition and all of that but I had nothing to do with it actually,” she said.
Asked if any police officer had contacted her about her post, Ramlogan said, “No, no!”
Another Opposition member, Devant Maharaj said he too did not know of the message’s origin but added that the message depicts the frustration of members of the public.
“I have no knowledge of this and I don’t think the party executive or any member of the leadership will call for any action such. Minister Stuart Young is just reading the public’s frustration regarding the Rowley administration. He fails to recognise that this has to deal with the public’s disgust of the party and Government, which he belongs to,” Maharaj said.
Spokesperson for the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM), Ozzi Warwick said that JTUM is in no way behind the call.
Newly-elected social media officer of the People’s National Movement (PNM), Avinash Singh sent out a call to the TTPS to “immediately intervene and investigate and or act on what appears to be acts of sedition.”