Tempers flared and words were exchanged between police and protesters after officers stopped the motorcade by the Scrap Iron Dealers’ Association along with the Joint Trade Union Movement along the Uriah Butler Highway opposite Grand bazaar on Wednesday 24th August 2022.
• The temporary police blockade of the motorcade caused a massive traffic pileup along the Northbound lane of the highway as regular traffic was only allowed to use the extreme right lane.
• According to one police officer, the motorcade was no longer allowed to play music since the permit granted to them had expired at 12noon. Head of the scrap iron association Allan Ferguson immediately rubbished the officer’s statement saying that their permit provided them to play music from a truck until 4pm.
• The officer also told members of the group, which included MSJ leader, David Abdullah and O.W.T.U head Ancel Roget, that the motorcade was not permitted to proceed further.
• Abdullah accused the police of acting arbitrarily because he had earlier made harsh comments against the Commissioner’s refusal to allow the motorcade to enter the capital city.
After several calls were made and conversations were held with the organisers of the motorcade, the officer told them they were able to proceed but must not go beyond the Barataria flyover of the Churchill Roosevelt Highway.
• Organisers had continuously informed the officer that permission was granted permission by the Acting Commissioner of Police to proceed from Tarouba to Barataria. Permission to end at the Brian Lara Promenade in Port of Spain, which the group had initially sought, was denied.
• Many questioned why was the motorcade stopped by police, only near Grand Bazaar, since they had all the requisite approvals prior to today’s events.
Last week and earlier this week, there were several road protests by scrap iron workers in Claxton Bay, Point Fortin and Barrackpore over the Government’s decision to ban the export of scrap metals for up to six (6) months.
