Gemma Handy grills Police Commissioner after gassing of peaceful protesters

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39 COMMENTS

  2. Ya right, Atlee!!!! So if they were denied for Sunday, they couldn’t have appealed and requested a new date? Wha happen? The world was supposed to end today? If an illegal demonstration wasn’t held, no tear gas woulda fling. We want to talk about consequences instead of the wrong doing that caused this mess. Why would the police approve a march in a health crisis where people have a problem with mask wearing? Gimme one break.

    • so you honestly feel they handled the situation correctly? if it was you and your kids you’d have a different tone.

  4. Oh please! Gemma a look “noticement”
    Not even Mickel Brann does act so nuff and edge-up and desperately looking fame. Guess she has something “to prove” or someone to “impress”

    • When I’m in Antigua and listen to a local radio station Ilike to hear my native language and dialect. That I identify with as being either local or Caribbean. When I hear this strange English tongue, I get confused and wonder where the hell I am. That’s why I was equally glad when they correct that at ABS TV. We need to learn appreciate our own. Try tuning in to an English radio station, even is the broadcaster is not a typical English men/woman you would not notice from the accent.

      • You are nothing more in my opinion. Than a FAT Racist THUG. Some years ago in a different medium. I challenged you to meet me at Big Banana in St.Johns. I am awaiting your cowardice arse to show up.

      • Gemma Handy is a Journalist. There are Foreign Journalists working all around the World. That is one of the ways World News gets around. Are you Sidelines “hating” on Gemma Handy. Because she is White and working for Observer Media Group.I have a relative who works for BBC in Bush House in London as a Journalist.I have seen where you have gone after a local woman.Her name is Makeda Mikael.You seem to have issues with strong independent woman inna Antigua and Barbuda.Is that why you and Gaston Browne are peas in one pod?

        • Do you remember Lennox Linton. Who deported him because they didn’t like that he was now working for Asot Michael. The man was arrested by the Immigration and put on the next LIAT flight to Dominica without being able to say goodbye to his wife and child. Not a drum was heard from you guys

        • Do you remember Vernon Khelawan. He was the Editor of the Antigua Sun. Was picked up one day from his office and deported to Trinidad because he had a fallout with Giselle who used to work there, and Jacqui ordered him to be departed. All that against the treaties we have signed about free movement of Journalists.
          Give me a break with your so called plead for Gemma. She is not part of Caricom we do not have any treaty with England concerning that. We have enough talent here at home and in the region. And in these trying times pastor christen him pickney first

  5. The Police Commissioner needs to be on the next banana boat back to Dominica. He has dropped the ball on this one. He made the wrong decision call yesterday in tear-gassing the people of Antigua and Barbuda for having peaceful picketing. There was no riot in the town yesterday. It was peaceful picketing, so why tear-gassing the people Mr. Commissioner? Yes, the concern of the number of people gathering at one place with not much social distancing which I understand. The Commissioner needs to send his officers to that same area especially on Friday and Saturday afternoon if there are so many concerns about the gather and COVID-19 protocol and he will see the number of people gather there with less social distancing.

    • No! We don’t endorse your hate and xenophobic mindset. Deal with the ISSUE – NO PERMISSION was granted!

      • That no hate and xenophobic. He needs to resign. And because no one in Antigua can do the job I believe it is much easier for him to hurt Antiguans. Seems the hate is come from him

    • The police tear gas their own yesterday which looked quite silly. If the main issue is to curtail the spread of COVID and the commissioner finds using teargas on a crowd of peaceful protesters, then we are doomed. When you release teargas, it causes people to cough and sneeze and would that not be counter productive?

      Don’t worry, our government is going to shoot themselves in the foot as well. Just wait until they start doing all the testing of government workers, then we will see the true number of persons that are asymptomatic. Next, we will loose the greenlist from the UK and the Level 1 from the CDC. They want to copy what the USA is doing, go ahead. Even though the USA have about 100,000.00 cases per day, they are still on most countries greenlist, including Antigua. But make Antigua get 100 cases per day and see how fast they change from level 1 to level 4. So yes, let the testing start.

  6. Why is there a mouche instead of an Antiguan as Police Commissioner?

    Another of the coward Gaston’s pawns?

    We have the right to protest, state of emergency or not or whatever chupit shit you want to make up. Police are supposed to protect we.

    Just a matter of time before your teargas and bullets run out. If our children die because of you, so be it. We will live free lives and not under the control of a few.

    • because it is easier to control them. They block Antiguans all the time for decades. It’s a major part of maintaining control. Same reason Antiguans with degrees and top notch experiences never get replies when inquiring for high level employment or even volunteering. You see we are connected to each other. Outsiders for a lack of a better word right now, can keep the secrets. The slave master left us this strategy. Decades now in use and it’s not just ministers, your foreign investors ad PERMINENT Secretaries as well

      • Skyewill we will be changing all of that. We done with being taken advantage of.

        Gaston and all his asskissers are done.

  7. “An irrevocable divide”

    This is what happens when you install foreigners in key law enforcement and security positions. These people come here to abuse Antigua people. The PC needs to resign, and these key positions need to be reserved for indigenous Antiguans.

  8. Do you notice the number of foreigners who headed the police force. This government likes them and make them all acting so they will do as they are told to keep their job. Next protest agains all the non nationals on the police force.

    • At least it is not a Canadian Mountie running the department. One Caribbean.
      Perhaps you have short memories as to who fired the entire top of police then.

      • All of them needed firing just like now. Most of the police force is so illiterate that they can’t solve crimes. The Mountie could have taught them how to solve crimes but the the government don’t want people on the force they can’t control. They would rather have a bunch of duffers who can only tear gas their own people. Check how Barbados handled a demonstration.

      • I have been reading all these headlines, I have watch a lot of different recordings of what took place on Sunday . And I can say it was a horrible thing that was done to the people I saw standing up in one area protesting. What about the children and families in their homes that felt the effect of the teargas? I know first hand how wicked and devilish some of these police officers are and cutie is a horrible human he is the one that give orders to shoot down people children in cold blood. He have a lot of Antigua picney blood on his hands. Everyone in this country should be outraged at what happened on Sunday in this country. I am a labour party supporter for 36 years now and I am outraged at the event that took place on Sunday. Some people that support labour are condoning this nonsense the high officials and police did. You cannot turn wrong into right because u support labour. Is that what u all do when your children are wrong? Call a spade a spade because wrong can never be right. It is height time ALL ANTIGUANS AND BARBUDANS PUT PARTY ASIDE AND STAND UP FOR THE RIGHT THINGS. PUT ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA FIRST NOT POLITICIANS BECAUSE TO TELL THE TRUTH NONE I SAY NONE OF THEM POLITICIANS CARE ANYTHING ABOUT POOR PEOPLE. POOR PEOPLE HAVE ONLY ONE PURPOSE FOR THESE POLITICIANS TO VOTE THEM IN SO THEY CAN ENRICH THEMSELVES, THEIR FAMILIES AND CRONNIES. ANTIGUANS AND BARBUDANS YOU ALL BETTER TAKE HEED. THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL .

  9. There was no march in town in town. It was a picket.
    There was no march.

    Is it unlawful for the public to gather together?

    What was the eminent danger that required that excessive use of force?

  10. This is for the first time I was proud of the Police Commissioner coming to the public and taking questions. This brings clarity in the whole thing.
    I still think they should have beaten the hell out of some of them. Who nuh whan hear should feel. Nobody above the law.

  11. because it is easier to control them. They block Antiguans all the time for decades. It’s a major part of maintaining control. Same reason Antiguans with degrees and top notch experiences never get replies when inquiring for high level employment or even volunteering. You see we are connected to each other. Outsiders for a lack of a better word right now, can keep the secrets. The slave master left us this strategy. Decades now in use and it’s not just ministers, your foreign investors ad PERMINENT Secretaries as well. I thought the REVOLUTION WOULD BE ON CNN but looks like it’s on Face Book

  12. Police commissioner Rodney is nothing but a darn blasted liar and a puppet. He claimed that he heard one of the organizers on the radio on Saturday stating that the request for permission to march was denied. So, how come he didn’t hear when the person said they would be picketing or protesting instead on Sunday?
    The Likkle bwoy commissioner just have to carry out the politicians dutty order to keep his job. Gaston, Cutie and Rodney were ready and eager to kill innocent people as you heard Rodney confessed when he said they were prepared to use greater force.
    Shame shame shame. A great send off for Sir LBB

  13. Wake up Antigua. Anthony Astaphans is written all over what is happening in Antigua.
    The same hate and confusion he has created in Dominica is exactly what he has brought to Antigua.
    Gaston Brown and his entire cabinet are puppets of the puppet master,little willie Tony. Like deceased father Jolly once said, I feel sorry for little willie Tony as a human being.
    God will deal with them in their own time.

  14. Are we as a people OK with CHEMICAL WEAPONS being used against us?
    Whichever side of the fence you sit, do you really believe it was OK to use CHEMICAL WEAPONS THAT ARE BANNED IN WARFARE???

    Tear gas is a chemical weapon used by law enforcement to control riots and disperse crowds — from the United States to Hong Kong, to Venezuela, Haiti, Mexico, Columbia, Honduras.
    Most Eastern Caribbean Islands have not used tear gas to control their citizens.

    Despite its frequent use, various international treaties have BANNED the use of tear gas in wartime.

    Tear gas really is a chemical weapon — a material developed early on in the first World War that has caused thousands of deaths. “Then, it was developed into the more modern tear gas that causes serious burning, feelings of suffocation and obviously, tearing. It’s used now more massively than ever by law enforcement.”

    Tear gas is considered a less-lethal weapon when it’s used outdoors. In general, it could be lethal. In fact, there are incidents where people were killed by these canisters.
    The problem with tear gas is that it’s also an indiscriminate weapon.
    If you think about the way that it’s being deployed, it doesn’t really distinguish between young people and elderly, the healthy and the sick, people who are peaceful protesters or those who are using violence.

    But the idea is that this has become the go-to for law enforcement after giving verbal directions — as if Tear gas is going to be the way to de-escalate and end a protest.

    Most of the time, it’s really used to SUPPRESS protest and that’s really one of the fundamental problems with it – human rights are ignored.

    Source: ACLU. American Civil Liberties Union.

    • Tabor, FROM THE SIDELINE soul would be rejected as it beyond spoiled and tainted.

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