Police officers in riot gear, used tear gas Wednesday, in a bid to end protest action by truckers, who used their vehicles to block the main highway on the west coast of the island, leaving hundreds of people stranded and unable to travel to work and school.
“We are hoping that some common sense will prevail. Our position still remains the same. We really would want to have guarantees that every time there is a project on island that we have some form of say in it.
“We all have to eat and survive in the same country,” said Everson Magloire of the Tipper Truckers Association, as he sought shelter from the tear gas dispersed by the police at Canefield, three miles north of the capital.
“As long as the government has a contract, give it to any company, we the locals need 80 per cent of the work, that’s what we want,” said another trucker.
The government has not issued any statement regarding the protest, but in 2021, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit ”assured the truckers my government was sympathetic to their plight,” after he and senior government ministers and officials held talks with several truckers to address their problems.
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There must be another way to resolve this impasse. I don’t know if we can block a highway and at the same time, the lament cannot lay claim to their motto to protect and serve the citizens when matters escalate to this point.
The question that is on my mind is ,How did it get to this point where they resorted to blocking the streets? When egos replace common sense and good faith, the outcome is normally one of protest action and reaction! Respect is a two way street!
I totally agree with the plight of the truckers, i really do.
One of the gassed protesters is a friend and former neighbor of mines who lived in 268 for some time.
Protests should be seen and heard. But while you are protesting, please do not interfere with with my freedom to get to work. I am tempted to say they got what they deserved. No sympathy from me on this one.
You don’t understand what is a protest then . About get to work, you’re the same type of people that would have prolonged slavery with that very thinking
Antigua first,now Dominica.Those Police are tear gassed trigger happy.Years ago the leaders would sit down and discussed matters of change in Antigua.They would engaged those who would be affected by the changes.Where did it all go wrong?
@Ron u sound like an idot!!!! If they did not block the roads nothing would come out of this. They would be by the road ranting, we want more, enough is enough who would really take them on? A protest is effective when you disrupt the daily function of a nation please take a moment to learn about the french islands who protest. Stop being an idiot!!!!