We Need to Talk About What Happened in Salisbury.
It started with a protest, as many issues do these days. But it’s not the first protest that the people of the village of Salisbury on the small island of Dominica have led against Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit’s Labor Party government. It’s the only avenue they have had to be heard by a government that has rarely listened because the village, in spite of pressure to do the contrary, does not support them. In the most recent general elections, more than 80% of villagers voted for the opposition. I wrote about the strength of the people of Salisbury after Tropical Storm Erika devastated Dominica in 2015 and in that article, detailed some of the issues that villagers have fought to have the world hear.
On December 5th, another similar situation occurred. At 5:57 that morning, I received a voicemail from my half-sister who lives in Dominica. Check on my mom, she said, her stepmother. She had just learned that the police had “descended” on my hometown, Salisbury, early that morning around 4am and had shot tear gas into the homes of sleeping villagers. She’d heard that villagers had to run out of their homes to escape the impact of the chemical weapon in closed spaces. She advised that if I hadn’t spoken to my mother I should check and just ensure that she was ok. My sister ended the message by saying “pray for our nation; it’s just so much chaos it’s frightening right now.”
My 22-year-old nephew who lives in Salisbury was my next communication on this heartbreaking story. He had heard gunshots, he said. He left me a voicemail expressing how upset he was at this “attack”. An attack was indeed what it was.
But let me give some more context before proceeding about that fateful day.
Many Dominicans, including villagers from Salisbury took to the streets in early December to express grievances that had accumulated over many years. The primary accusations were that of corruption in the government, particularly as it relates to political imbalances in our electoral process. People wanted reform and several protests were held around the island led by the leaders of the opposition party and the advocacy group Concerned Citizens’ Movement. We have already established that Salisbury is a stronghold for the opposition.
Earlier in 2019, around August, the Organization of American States (OAS) alongside the Commonwealth of Nations and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), conducted a review of Dominica’s electoral process and highlighted areas of concern that the government needed to address to ensure free and fair elections on Dominica. Recommendations included, but were not limited to issuing photo IDs for voters and removing deceased people and Dominicans living outside of Dominica for more than 5 years from the voter rolls. These recommendations were rejected by the government. On their website, the government noted that “the existing electoral system has served Dominica very well”. For the man in power since 2004, it would seem that way.
Disenfranchised Dominicans took to the streets of the island to protests. Protest activities were held in several spots. Streets were blocked and violence ensued in many places. Of course, the village where the declaration of Dominica’s independence was signed in 1976 (thus the name, the ‘Salisbury Declaration’) ahead of our independence in 1978, was among them. Villagers blocked the primary road on the outskirts of the small town which islanders use to commute to and from the two main cities, Roseau and Portsmouth.
And as many places as these protests happened, there was only one village where the police and the Regional Security System (RSS) conducted an “operation” at 4am in the morning when villagers were asleep. Tear gas was thrown into the houses of elderly people and two people were shot to “quell protest actions”. Let me be clear here: there were no protest actions at 4am that morning when the police attacked not just protestors, but innocent villagers, sleeping in their homes. Not until after the police had attacked. This was an ambush.
Many of us who call Salisbury our hometown, who were raised there and given the basis of our education and humanity there and who now live abroad, took to social media in our own form of protests. It appeared that the police had violated basic human rights. Pictures and videos posted showed elderly people with tear gas cans in their homes, broken windows, crying babies. One of the people shot was a retired gentleman, Davis Shillingford, also a citizen of the United States, who had only recently returned to the island to live.
General elections were called and executed in Dominica without any electoral reform on Friday, December 6, 2019. PM Skeritt celebrated a landslide victory aided in part by several thousands of Dominicans who have lived abroad for more than 5 years, many now with the right to vote in other countries, brought in temporarily only to vote in the Dominican election. One of the primary issues for protestors outcry to begin with.
I was told later by “friends” of the government on the island to “forget and move on.” But we can’t forget and shouldn’t forget what was done to the people of Salisbury. It was not ok what the police did and we should hold the police and the government accountable for their terroristic actions. There are two sides to every story – the police already told theirs. This is ours. A people silenced allows for systematic injustice that leads to a loss of human rights. As it is, we are already fighting for fair voting rights on Dominica, an issue that has been only flippantly acknowledged by the prime minister.
In the words of Haile Selassie, “Throughout history…it has been the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph.”
I care about electoral reforms in Dominica, because it’s fair and right, but I care more about our people. That’s why I am still talking about what happened in Salisbury. Dominica is still a democracy, right? We need to talk about what happened in Salisbury.
U bless. Honors!!!
Some people love money a lot more than they love their country.
Some ignorant Dominicans don’t own a constitution. Ignorant Dominicans don’t know de significance of Salisbury and de declaration to make Waitukubuli an independent nation. Salisbury itself was a kalinago stronghold village….de people of Salisbury are decendants of a warrior people who defended Waitukubuli against de British and French.
Skerrit can NEVER break Salisbury back…..de free spirit of our nation was born there….not in financial center, not on cork street, not in Dubai, not in morne Daniel, not in vielle case, not in Malaysia, not in Iran, not in Russia, not in China, not on a yaught, not in a rolls Royce, not in Macau not even in de presidential palace…… and certainly not on in de labour house
Salisbury significance will stand eternally… you can’t erase it from history.. and no one can take their fighting spirit.
Love Bawi!!!!
“When a few people decide to wreck life for the many, we pay the police to sort it out.” Exactly. don’t attack a whole village. All you own coming Skeritt lovers.
Honors to you. U bless!!!
Some of the comments here speak of pure ignorance of our constitution and democratic rights.
The Salisbury Declaration brought forth our right to be a free nation…alas de ignorance of my people don’t even see de significance.
A future inspired leadership should erect some sort of monument in Salisbury to remind us where we came from.
And Salisbury was a strong fortified Kalinago village…..it is my opinion that this is significant…..they are de descendants of a warrior type people who defended Waitukubuli from the British and the French!
I don’t know of anywhere in CARICOM where there is a military force on island during general elections.
The writing is historical truth!
No mention of any politician
De government refused to listen to the grievances of the people they punished de entire village including their own supporters like they were useless
Some people don’t love their country
Some hypnotized
Yes.. Let’s talk about how this lawless action caused people like me to sleep on the street on the Wednesday night because public transport could not take us north that night. Let’s talk about the stones rained down on us Wednesday morning trying to get to work. When a few people decide to wreck life for the many, we pay the police to sort it out. As far as I am concerned, they do so with far more restraint than I would have required. An example should have been made. Keep going.. the longest rope has an end!
Soon your master will give you more ‘examples’. Don’t come crying when one day you are one of those crying when an ‘example’ is made of you for no reason at all. My friend, the day will come and then you’ll be crying like a little child. All you do want to face the truth that your master is manoeuvring the country into a full blown dictatorship. Ever heard of Idi Amin and how he at first imprisoned his brothers and sister and when he grow more powerful he just had them killed. Soon all you will have a rude awakening…
More than just talk. We need to take action to get justice for the people of Salisbury.
Yes let us talk.
Let us talk about the small house on the hill being used to store stones and molotov cocktails in order to rain down on the police from a vantage position.
Let us talk about the harassment of motorists approaching the barricade seeking to pass, with threats being made to damage both vehicles and people if they came closer.
Let us talk about the cowardly tactic of the organisers pretending not to be involved, helping put debris and start fires and dissapearing to make FB videos when law enforcement came.Let us talk about the unwillingness to clear a public road after being spoken to by police. Let us also talk about the plan to …………………………………. foiled only by the astute policing which saw no direct casualties, no serious injuries and resumption of traffic on the road.Let us talk about the attempt to mingle in the village to make it difficult to be policed. Tearsgas was not fired at homes. It was fired at thugs who scattered like rats…
Today is ours. Tomorrow?
When the shoe is on the other foot you’ll know.
At 94 former labour Parl Rep ( Bryson Louis) had to vacate his home.
Are you calling my uncle a rat?
Mi son, ” wen u neighba house ketch fyah, tro wata pan fuh u.
Situations do change
Whoah. Poor Mr. Bryson. That’s what these people do not want us to talk about. We’ve got to call on these people when they’re starting to hurt innocent people – draw the line people, draw the line.
Thank you Giz for being brave and speaking out. Your father George would have been proud. You will get plenty ignorant responses but vex they vex. If you did not get to them they wouldn’t respond.
Very idiotic commentary. So it is only Salisbury people who have rights? What about my rights and the thousands of other Dominicans who are continually inconvenience by the selfish actions of a few? That’s why the UWP will continue to lose elections as they deliberately ignore the concerns of the majority.
Only a coward and guilty leader will attack innocent citizens while they sleep.
Anybody defending this is as coward as Skerrit and the people of Salisbury should see them as enemies. Any support for this human rights violation is support for the death of the people of Salisbury.
Under the constitution, it is our rights to demonstrate against the government when ever we that our rights are being violated.
ANYBODY THAT WANT THE PEOPLE OF SALISBURY DEAD, WANTS DOMINICA DEAD.
Do people have half siblings still?
Conscious you know how Science works? Go back to grade 4 partner.
What Salisbury people did was wrong but how the police reacted was also wrong. Give right when right and wrong when wrong. Police should have responded during the protest not after. That was wrong.
Standing for your rights is wrong?
Where and how?
Is Skerrit your god?
Round the world people are fighting oppressors and you all are supporting them.
I hope you will has the energy to stand when Skerrit reaches on your doorstep.
Done and dusted mate. You believe in your head that they did nothing wrong. In another country bullets would have rocketed. Thank God for calm DA.
They expressed themselves very well by blocking, road, burning, and pelting. In your opinion what should have taken place to stop the unlawness, The police should have sat back and watch them? Are you serious, give me a break .
Hopefully the Human Rights Court will adjudicate this
Bawi man you are a LIAR.Even you know you are telling a LIE.Typical UWP.No wonder the people of St.Joseph called the people of SALISBURY BOO LOO KOO.Ask the people born in the 50’s and 60′ s what that mean.
…. it was 0400, people were in their beds, where was all the unlawness
Idiotic statement. Did bullets fly in St. Maarten? What world do u live in
All over the globe people fighting to get rid of their oppressors. In Dominica they vote for them and keep them in office!
A fool and his money will soon part. God is good. Skerrit and his money used to do evil and wicked deeds on our nation will soon disappear. There will be re-elections in Dkminica and Skerrit will finaly understand and accept the fact that Dominicans have rejected him. Then and only then will he answer to the international community for the atrocities brought to the inocent people of Saulsbry.
so you talk move on we have here in the paradise called Dominica
Certainly! Dominica is still a democracy. That is why one should not trample on the rights of others. Blocking roads and setting fire is definitely a criminal act. What makes you think that some have more rights than others? Everyone has a right to stand up for what they believe in, however, you cannot subject others to pain because of your stance. Your belief may not be that of the majority. Salisbury is just one Village in Dominica. That talk about Salisbury being UWP stronghold could have been put to rest if the right candidate was chosen on the DLP side. Shanks should not have been given another opportunity to fail. The DLP pretty much gave that seat away with their candidate choice.
Fellow Dominican, we the majority have spoken, DLP for the next 5 years! Like a true leader, PM Skerrit gave the directions to stabilize the Country. He was rewarded handsomely!
Neverson St.Jean,Melvin St.Jean,Gabriel St.Jean,you brothers were Police Officers.During the dread act,May 1979,OperationRed Dog 1981,December 1981 Defend Force attack at PHQ.1983 GRENADA.With all your experience,have you and your brothers ever heard of police attacking innocent and sleeping civilians?.You know the police go after the CRIMINALS,and take them out wherever they are and by any means.You also know that BS about attacking innocent,and sleeping civilans is just that BS.If you believe that nonesence you are a CROOKED,TRAITOR to the police.
What is there to talk about I have some relatives and friends in Salisbury the place and supporters of the so-called workers calamity party are all braindead following a brainless donkey so-called opposition leader staying up on the Hill pelting stones at people going about their business. LINTON, Is the one you should be talking too!
Only an ignorant individual would type such rubbish.
Do you have a family?
Who you want police to tear gas and shoot at your family while they sleep?
Do you have a conscience?
Stop belching nonsense and start searching for some common sense.
@Joseph, Not everyone in Salisbury support that clown Linton, and his so-called Workers party I know and you know that but there is some people in Salisbury whenever regardless of what when Linton says jump they would ask how high it also happens elsewhere in Dominica from …… like you. Another thing when one goes looking for trouble – Troubles always comes back looking for them bear that in mind.
I concur that we should never forget the injustice that was carried out on the people of Salisbury that infamous Thursday morning, Dec. 5th, 2019. There are those among us who agreed and praised the actions of the authorities, but let it be known that when this slippery slope of loss of our democracy is complete, all who believe that they want to entertain independent thought, will experience likewise injustice. “When they came for my friends, I said nothing. When they came for my neighbors, I said nothing. Now they have come for me, there is no one to say anything on my behalf.”
You all played a stupid game so you won a stupid prize.