Minister for Public Works and the Digital Economy, Senator Cassanni Laville, has condemned the “pockets of lawlessness” reported from a few areas during the bus drivers protest actions on Monday.
Several bus drivers began protest action on Monday morning, refusing to ply their regular route and embarking instead, on a “drive slow” leaving large numbers of commuters stranded. The bus operators say they are protesting to force the government to provide “much-needed assistance” because of the financial impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the recent rise in the price of fuel on their trade.
“We want to forcefully condemn the pockets of lawlessness reported from the few areas,” Laville remarked, adding, “The authorities charged with maintaining law and order will not cower to lawlessness and chaos.”
Laville further stated, “We have the responsibility to ensure that some of the behavior that we saw today is not allowed to be repeated.”
He said based on reports, there were agitators who also sought to incite tension with police officers.
Regarding the withholding of the bus services, he believes it was ill-advised and ill-thought, “and indeed counterproductive to everyone.”
As minister of public transportation Laville apologized to members of the public who, according to him, got up this morning expecting to carry out their normal duties in a timely manner.
“Unfortunately, many of you were prevented from doing so when protesting bus drivers in some areas blocked roads, preventing the free flow of traffic and causing mass disruptions,” the minister reasoned.
Laville was of the view that as unfortunate as it was, the many bus drivers withdrew their services on Monday were exercising their right, “but the lawlessness that was seen in some areas by blocking of roads and taunting and harassing of police officers who came to ensure the free flow of traffic, cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.”
The minister said he expects that the bus drivers will return to their routes and will continue their ongoing dialogue that they have been having with the government.
“We believe that the core of their membership is reasonable and is also committed to the orderly conduct of business in their communities,” he stated.
Laville acknowledged that the ongoing pandemic has put a heavy strain on all sectors in the local economy and the global economy, including bus drivers and operators.
He said the thought of raising bus prices at this time would be injurious to national economic recovery and, “will hurt the poorest among us.”
Some bus drivers who spoke to DNO today said they are not seeking an increase in bus fares at this time as they are aware that the economic downturn caused by COVID-19 is impacting everyone.
Bus drivers are ill educated people we all know that! Those guys using the word stimulus an do not know the meaning of word not even black heart man the opposition leader knows what is the meaning stimulus he wake up in the morning and don’t know what day it is. “Dog eat dogs” it’s time to put that dragon in his place once and for all as the British say every dog has it day it will come sooner than later.
Im glad that the police did their jobs and maintained law and order.
With the amount of officers on site, had there been lawlessness, then they would’ve arrested the individual instead the police are the ones whom carried out lawless behavior which was filmed for everyone to see. Yet this government administration has not seen it fit to condemn such behavior by police officers against individuals carrying out their constitutional rights to protest. We have to wonder if our government is democratic. Cassanni laville, you’ve demonstrated that you’re a upholding the abusive behavior of the police while bashing individuals for exercising their democratic right. Continue, time will deal with injustice and the persons who facilitate such injustices.
Casani
I am extremely disappointed in your comments. in my opinion, you cannot talk about pockets of lawlessness without requesting the immediate dismissal of the police officer who viciously kicked and punched the bus driver seen internationally and in front of hundreds of witnesses.
Is he a cop with a history, ……………………………………… is this sort of behaviour one of using his martial art skills.
this must be stamped out from our police force if respect for the force is expected
Now Casanu …speak up
Where mister come out. Boy Dominicans did not vote for you so shut up and stop braying flies from your flipping nose. Even monkey jumping too.
@NATURAL DISASTER IS NOBODY’S FAULT, it is very sad that the majority of bloggers on this comment board cannot see the essence of your thought above. But it is they who want to run our country’s affair–how would they do that?
When cannot see the slightest truth in what is before them, what kind of law and order would they implement throughout their works as the authority of the Nation?
For crying out loud!
The two most troubling things for me from viewing the video are:
1) The mob mentality of the (SLF) Skerrit Lawless Force.
2) The kick from one of the gang members that landed with cruel impact on the victim’s torso. If that man’s ribs are not broken then he has to have ribs made of cast iron.
That particular gang member (officer) should be charged with attempted murder. The force of that kick was meant to do maximum damage perhaps even to kill.
when Austrie had so many nasty things to say about women i never heard them speak…and he has a wife, now u coming and talk?? my brother keep that same energy
Here it is Linton, and his crocodiles is leading you all bus drivers into muddy waters, If I was the Prime minister Skerrit, I would withdraw the monies that was promised to you all for being such fools listening to Linton, the plank!
You are one sad creature… but you got it right Skerrit promised… and we all apart from you sad creature know what a promise from this liar is…
Here comes this sheep-like apologist endeavoring to throw blame on an otherwise peaceful protest turned violent by a mob of armed bandits (military police).
I put most of the blame on the Dominican people. In light of this horrific treatment of a fellow Dominican and himan being the people remain stoically silent.
In recent times the mongoose squad has roughed up and wrongfully arrested Danny Lugay; brutalized a young man and a grandmother; falsely held two men in a foul cell for two days for flying a drone near King Liar’s palace; a young, healthy man, Sherwin Prosper, was killed in police custody; now this savage beating of a law abiding citizen.
Dictatorship and tyranny flourish when the majority of the population remains passive in the face of ‘barbarism’ from those in control of the military might of the state.
Worse is on the horizon if the people continue to lap their tails between their legs like cowardly dogs.
A bunch of idiots.
Don’t even know that an intersection is made up of corners and showing off your small intellects.
Yes, we have a right to protest; however there is a process and a method to doing this. It needs to be well planned.
If you are going to protest your services, just don’t run your bus service for a week. SIMPLE !!!!
In the law EVERY WHERE, ONLY the police can block a road legally. Blocking a road is NOT protesting. It is very selfish. The fact that some people cannot understand that shows the level of ignorance in this country.
Some of the reasons for the protest is utter nonsense. How dare you all have me voicing opinions on the side of the law and not against, those foolish pigs.
You all are too happy to support chaos.
Blocking a road is not protesting, its akin to rioting. It is a CRIME!! Again it is selfish.
And the people supporting this, when the price of Bus service goes up, remember you asked for it.
Dat minister is not a parl rep….. nobody voted for him to represent dem in parliament…..he not speaking for the people he speaking for his boss!!!
No matter how much battering a man can take on live camera…..de police is de victim!!!!!!
Dat minister is bias….a fake!!!! You putting dat on your record boss!?
Driving slow is lawlessness?
You out of your league…. how you get in dat!!!!
With your education and de ministry you lead…… you have sadly missed de boat with your record so far….. you won’t get another opportunity like dat in this lifetime padna!
It’s rather strange that the minister condemns the action of some of the bus operators as lawlessness but he doesn’t condemn the reaction of some of the policemen who were involved. The police are to protect and serve and not to beat up citizens who are not even fighting with the police. They come in as a pack of hyenas throwing kicks and punches rather than attempting to apprehend and subdue whoever. Why is it that nowadays police first response is to beat up rather than de-escalate. The minister must be level headed and not be biased
The Public Works Minister needs to observe the laws about treating and bribery, not people demanding assistance.These are the kinds of people who think THEY are the law and what they say goes. Same kind of people who think if a police tell you to move while standing in a public area, or even on your own property that you MUST move otherwise you are breaking the law (their law in their head). they broke no law.
He sounds more like the EVIL. WORKS MINISTER than public works Minister
I mean I was shocked to videos of police men physically fighting with one unarmed young man in canefield. Police suppose to be properly trained for this because in protest police suppose to understand and expect the worst. But what I saw was inhuman all these police and army men fighting with one young man. Shame!
Minister said bus men should go back to their regular talk with them but what good is a regular talk if nothing is being done to fix the problem. The problem is simple to fix. Keep the gas prices at a. Affordable rate for the bus men. The goverment should understand that. And the members of goverment needs to know they are better of financially than the bus men and many people in dominica so they are not in the hot pot.
It’s an easy fix, keep the gas prices reasonable to benefit all not only the bus men but others as well.
And the situation with police men and army men need to be delt with as this is a human right issue. Better training required. Big SHAME!
Wow! It’s great to hear a government minister condemn the lawlessness of Roosevelt Skerrit Ian Douglas, another minister warned us about him already but we didn’t take heed. So look now Skerrits lawlessness has infected the policefore and like their master they too are very lawless.
In Dominica today what we see is a police force and government that’s in bed with criminals and lawlessness but they treat law abiding citizens as criminals. See how they treatead a known wanted criminal like Alireza Monfared. I saw him in government vehicles with top government ministers and top police officers. In fact PM Skerrit described a known wanted criminal as a “good gentleman that loved Dominica and wanted to help us”. Today this gentleman is in Iran jail for 20 yrs for money laundering and money fraud. I wonder if anyone here is a partaker of his crime? …………………………………………………………………..
Oh yes Mr. Minister the government and police are really lawless. Only in Dominica such lawlessness is tolerated. You mean a police officer is in video kicking a person? Boy look lawlessness but I am not surprised because PM Roosevelt Skerrit told us “No law no constitution could stop him..” So the police is just an extension of the lawlessness State of Skerrit
as to not have this happen again government ran public transport is needed, just in case this happens again
AA but mister well coh pah way zor eh. In case you did no know car sany, people have a right to protest in a democracy!!!
And what freaking lawlessness are you talking about? Go and fix the roads properly instead of patching …. let the bus drivers fight for their cause. Lord knows you have been bought lock, stock and barrel.
How come he’s not condemning the lawlessness of his boss and members of his party?
Great question CCS! Skerrit and his submissive disciples all have ‘herd immunity’ from the law.
The police are the ones who, once again, displayed the kind of lawlessness and brute force common of paramilitary and guerrilla organizations.
Mr. Laville stated that an increase in bus fare “will hurt the poorest people.” Firstly, the bus drivers have said nothing about a hike in bus fare. But, again, lies and distortions are what should be expected from you and your compulsive lying colleagues.
Secondly, in these tough, COVID 19 tomes, why did you and the other dishonorable ministers remained mum when Mr. Skerrit along with his high-maintenance wife took up residence in a $29 000 000 palace at a cost of $64 000 per month on the backs of the same poor people you now talk about? You bunch of unrepentant and brazen hypocrites have lost all credibility with your insincere concern for the poor and dispossessed.
Mr Laville, you should blame Skerrit and the police for the lawlessness of the police yesterday. During Vivid Skerrit and his ministers never took a payment. In fact Skerrit used covid-19 to give himself a stimulus package of over $60k a month to pay for his mansion. Ordinary Dominicans especially bus drivers lost everything and all Skerrit had to do was to give them a stimulus package to help them. Skerrit failed to that. Man, in the US so far I have received 3 stimulus cheques totalling $3800, plus $1000 dollars worth of groceries as well as my fortnightly pay cheque even him I was at home from March 12 -August 2020. Also, I got approved for a government grant of $20k for my small business and I can use 65% to pay myself a salary and 35% to pay my rent. In Dominica Skerrit and his ministers got their stimulus and those poor people got nothing and when bus drivers decide to protest police came with their guns in fatigue uniform and kicked and punch protesters? Only in Dominica boy
Tea fly out of my nose as the image of a sock puppet crossed my mind while reading this with my morning cup..alas
Dominicans have the right to protest. The police do not have the right to engage in acts of physical brutality. This brutality must be acknowledged and dealt with.
I hope you also condemning the display of POLICE BRUTALITY put on display on camera for the whole world to see!!!
Why they hitting a man with the back of a gun for?
If 5 police officers still need a gunshot to restrain one man then they not fit for purpose!!!
In the last few years we have had a trough, TS Erika, hurricane Maria, the Pandemic and as of a few days ago, now we have to help St Vincent.
None of that is the Gov’t fault !
People have lost jobs and revenue ALL OVER the world. The pandemic is all over the world, so we cannot even ask much help from other countries.
Now SVG have volcano and they have to evacuate. WE MUST HELP THEM. Helping St Vincent doesn’t mean our govt have money. Its an emergency, its urgent, people could die if we don’t take them in. Its a sacrifice. Have we already forgot how desperate we were after hurricane Maria ! Is our memory that short ?
And yet here we are fighting each other.
We should all be in church thanking God our Volcanoes didn’t erupt too. We have 9 active volcanoes ! St Vincent’s just erupt, and the best thing we find to do here is argue about stimulus package ?
We have no perspective here in Dominica, we don’t know how lucky/blessed we are.
“At Natural Disaster…..”, Are you feeling sorry for Skerrit and his Govt?
The amount of Dominican passports Skerrit sold already. No one knows the quantity.
………………………… Don’t put your hands in fire for those wicked men.
Skerrit help those bus drivers, and then vex with them. No problem.
Dude, you realize I haven’t said nothing about govt right ?
I just feel like it looks very selfish of us to be arguing about stimulus package like its a dying concern, just at the time when our Sister island is in crisis.
I even heard a bus driver use a volcano metaphor saying “we fed up, like a volcano erupting”
I heard another guy saying, why don’t Govt use the money they using to help refugee, to help Dominicans instead.
I mean seriously, how insensitive to the needs of others can we be ?!?!
Cassani you want to be tougher than your boss in suppressing people’s constitutional rights then. Don’t bro because our leader does not like competition in that department and don’t steal the lime light from him if you know what is good for you junior senator.
Pockets of lawlessness? The only place I see lawlessness is in government and the police force. It’s time now to dethrone the tyrant and send him and all his Ministers packing. They fooled us long enough.
Next time all you want to make a Statement Rasta Allyou just need to stay Home yeah Park allyou Buses and doh make no Move,,,
Better yet plan it where allyou can go boss a sewoh on a beach Somewhere,,,
Doh go on the road and Challenge DemManDem dat have Gun and is Authorized to use dem on allyou,,,
Sometimes the Less A Man say sends a harsher message that when he start making noise,,,
RastarMarn feel allyou pain yeh but remember is allyou dat Put Mista Back in Power,,,
Fellas such as Cassanni are just spineless parrots and puppets of Skerrit & his speech writers.
They should make him Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Reading Speeches Written for Skerrit.
NEXT!!!
The Public Works minister was reading from a script similar to Skerrit’s utterances on his “”Anou Parlay Sot”” programme. His heartless nature was brought to the fore when he only spoke about protesters, protesters, protesters.. There was no balance in the speech, and personally i rejected it as filth/garbage, something the protesters should reject with contempt.
Who feels it know it.
For too long Skerrit has had a gun to the heads of Dominicans, extorting their allegiance every 5 years, and then having them kicked by thugs parading as police officers afterwards. That’s shameful, degrading and totally unacceptable!
I fully agree that the protest should continue with greater intensity.
Partner you did not condemn Skerrit for renting a residence in Morne Daniel for approx. $32K monthly in this difficult Pandemic time that would injury the national economic recovery. But you are now playing the star on the “Bus Drivers”
A few words of caution….….. PM like to keep his Ministers and close supporters busy while he play in their backyard. Therefore better you keep an eyes on your household.
In closing let me apologize to the Dominican public for your NIAVITY!!!!