The Dominica Freedom Party (DFP) has accused members of the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force, specifically the Special Security Unit (SSU), of acting like bullies, enemy of the people and mercenaries of the ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP).
Political leader of the DFP, Kent Vital, said the region and by extension, the world, should be alarmed at what is going on in Dominica.
His comments came against the background of the police using tear gas on protesters in Roseau over the weekend.
“The SSU behaves like bullies, enemy of the people, and the mercenary arm of the Dominica Labour Party,” Vital stated.
He pointed out that this is the same SSU that seems unable to stop criminal activities on the island.
“This is the same SSU that seems unable to stop the operation of drug cartels in Dominica,” he remarked. “This is the same SSU that seem powerless to prevent the regular transshipment of drugs through Dominica but they seem ready to face off with regular civilians.”
He questioned whether the SSU is being turned into the private army of Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit and his administration.
“Are we observing an SSU that deliberately turns a blind eye on high crimes, and protect high criminals, but seems eager to crush any political dissent that threatens the rule of the current ruling Dominica Labour Party Government? Why can’t the SSU be engaged in meaningful civil works that would bring their public image such as repairing police stations that were damaged by Hurricane Maria? Are we on the verge of a massacre of unarmed protesters by the SSU?” Vital stated.
Over the weekend, the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) organized a protest near the offices of the electoral commission as part of its campaign for free and fair elections in Dominica.
However, things got ugly when the growing crowd blocked the road demanding that traffic be diverted and tear gas was fired by the police.
But Vital said the protesters were, “simply calling on the government and the Electoral Commission to engage in meaningful electoral reforms ahead of the next general election.”
The next general election is constitutionally due in February 2020.
Kent Vital it is quite convenient that you will condemn the police officer actions but will not encourage people to obey the law and obey the rules. Funny how you’re not condemning those who were condemning public disturbance. Funny thing is if the police didn’t take action causing the protest to go well into the night resulting in a riot, the same police would have been condemned and labeled as complacent.
The SSU is indeed the Dictator’s private army. A numberof its members are Haitian mercenaries. I learned that after the teargas attack on the people of Salisbury in 2015. And as every band of potential murderers they get more and more dangerous the longer they cannot lick blood.
Here is a group(CCM) I have heard advocate for.
1. Better Healthcare for Police officers.
2. Better wages for Police officers
3. Better living conditions for Police officers.
The same police officers will tear gas them when they have a peaceful protest.
These officers will soon kill their own family for DLP because blood sacrifice is part of DLP structure.
Kent Vidal, Shut your dam mouth you don’t know what you on about bloody sheep. What have you been smoking???
Man keeps biting his Assests day after day after day. This Dog just cant think on its own but bark rubbish from his failed corrupt Master. This is a dog that lives in the yard and anyone who passes by shouts out Woof-woof that really makes no sense, because that is what its master feeds it. That woof-woof dog just cant stop barking and get that dirty corrupt leach out of its neck because it`s there on the mercy this failed Man who himself is hooked by the tail by a PM and holding on to that leach tight because he owns that dog, feeds political garbage when he wants and have it barking day and night political nonsense, with man in the background doing the same. This Man bites Dog for a Bone and maybe $1.00..what he`s worth and is feed with this political Bobol bone, its tongue hanging out selflessly. Man Bites Dog, go get a decent master who is able to train and tame you and get you to a proper barking school. Skerrit is of no use or help to you, he`s enriching himself while you woof on
Viewsexpressed you making no sense at all, Please get yourself to a jumble sale there might be an old brain waiting on you.
The ssu officers are skerrit personal whores,what they should be doing,going after the drug dealers and criminals they are aware of on the island,sad days ahead for this country.
It’s not smoke,It’s tear gas so keep off,
They’re ready for the protesters who choice to throw stones at the police,These gears were donate by China,The administration had to asked China for help to protect the police officers , remember Lennox Linton said we’ll throw stones if the police use tear gas,
Corrupt governments will do anything to stay in power. We are witnessing a transformation of basic law enforcement norms to a government controlled Police force who engages in the suppression of freedom of assembly. Commanders should put aside partisan politics and resist orders that violates the constitution.
Hush your mouth Vital. Allu want to play bad and then when the police come down on allu, allu begging for international intervention. Is bad allu bad. Blows on allu. As allu can see the police well prepared for allu. That is not 1979. This is 2018. You guys are hungry for power. After the Prime Minister work so hard to get the country back to its feet You guys want to come and try steal everything that we build up. Not in this lifetime. There wont be no international intervention. The only intervention there will be is Hard police baton on allu heads and back. We well prepared to crush the revolution that you think you are gonna spark.
You are that “Real guilty Side”. Your intervention is immature and out of context. Gully, go tread a book on corrupt=ion and Bool and them Kick your rotten Labour government out. All this corrupt , bobol Labour government build up, is themselves and the poor people remain in poverty.. Shame on you Mr. Gully Side. You are a big failure, just like you failed Skerrit and the corrupt Labour, worthless Labour government. We need decency in government. The Labour government and failed Skerrit must Go.
Ken Vital is right in his assessment. We are witnessing the emergence of a military State with one-man rule.
Sir, Vital do you have your marbles in place? Did you say the protesters blockaded the road and asked that traffic be diverted? Sorry that’s the dumbest thing I’ve seen or heard! With your reasoning you don’t have the capability or ability to be a functional leader. % and views expressed become a contributing member of society not a parasite! Instead of writing all these misinformation and insults go and complete HIGH SCHOOL.
Thanks, no thanks for your misinformed and unenlightened opinion. Fact, the CCM applied and got permission to hold their protest. The police was then obligated to put measures in place to control or redirect traffic. This is what obtains in every well-run country. I’m nonplussed by your frivolous defence of the indefensible action of the police. How could any right thinking human being justify the -teargasing of peaceful women and children by a rogue contingent of police officers. When you defend the inexcusable, you make out yourself to be an imbecile.
ADMIN: Daniel Carbon (Police Chief) has released a statement calling the protests unlawful. Stay tuned to DNO to get more information on this development.
Well after reading most of this post I am adding to it.
The Police BLOCK the road and put the people where they were right net to the petrol station where the knew it would be busy with traffic. When the crowd got bigger it seems like accident was in the making their was a shout for the Police to divert the Traffic which is what they did..
Then 35minutes before the meeting was due to finish Honorable Lennox Linton was about to speak he said what is happening up the hill now a lot of people could not see up the hill.. People went to see there was a bunch of ROBOT COPS with Posters saying disperse the would use tear Gas . Then Loftus Durand went on mic said the protest was ending and they would be back Monday no sooner this was said ROB COPS started sending TGAS direct at People Children Elderly people the whole of Roseau suffer ..
NEXT TO A PETROL STATION it was not the protesters that suffer WHY NOT JUST GIVE ELECTORAL REFORM RE-REGISTER THE PEOPLE get DEAD people off the…
Did those protesters get the permission from the Police to stage this demonstration? We claim that we are democratic and the government isn’t. Well I was under the impression that in a Democracy you would need to obtain permission for this sort of action. What does it make you the protester when you demand that a road be closed so you can partake in a non democratic protest? It becomes such when you do not have the proper Democratic Authority to gather in a large crowd.
Hmm
So now the Police are at faulty for caring out their duties as deemed by Democracy. Wow
They don’t need no permission from police, idiot. The constitution gives them the right for peaceful protest and no police and no Skerrit they need to ask to exercise that right. Skerrit is a …….. that breaks Dominican laws on an ongoing basis and he gets away with it courtesy of the likes of you and your political friends. Skerrit ought to be thrown in jail!!
When people come to demonstrate for their rights nowadays they need to come prepared, they need to come with their handkerchief and their means to fight back, they should not take these donkeys action they should retaliate
The Right to descent is a fundamental Human Right; the Right to protest is a Legal Constitutional Right; Civil Disobedience is a Democratic Human Right; while the motto of the CDPF is “jump to an order and complain after” they are all given the power of discretion when it comes to the execution of their duties. The protection of life and property is a must in their daily functions and execution of that office. Even the minority have a right to disagree and demonstrate that disagreement in the form of protest action; the Police have a fundamental right to ensure that these protesters are protected. If you block out their area of protest them it’s your duty to ensure that wherever they are protesting is free of any impediment including the flow of traffic. We are not just another “Banana Republic” run by despots; and teargassing peaceful and unarmed protesters “for allegedly” blocking the road” is but senseless and not in keeping with modern civilized policing norms.
Keystone Cops!!!, they need some serious training so they can stop real crime not impede the constitutional rights of the people of this country!
That’s martial law people. Expect more. Don’t expect that these elections are going to be easy.
Can somebody PLEAASEE (I beg!!!!!) PLEEAASSEEEE tell me where were these SSU contingent of wannabe Ninja Robocops right after Hurricane Maria when businesses in Roseau were being looted carte blanche by rogues & vagabonds?
These SSU wannabe Ninja Robocops seem to be on time for any gathering of law-abiding people in Roseau who expressing opposition to Skerrit’s unjust policies; why wasn’t the SSU on time to confront the gatherings of law-breaking uncivilized persons who looted Roseau after Maria?
when they came out this year when there was a pending hurricane you all complained that they needed to be securing the safety of the Elderly not showing force to prevent what happened during Maria.
You know if we are in a situation where we are not able to action change is because the way in which we seek change is not working.
When you try to get through to someone using a particular strategy and it does not work you have to think of different ways to achieve your goal. It appear to me that this goal can never be achieved as we allow anger to control our though process hence impeding us from seeing ways before us.
Are you telling me that the police or SSU as you call them, should allow the protesters to start burning down the city, damaging peoples properties for them to intervene , then you on the outside would say why did the police took so much time before showing up. With all that mouth talking of the police for showing up at these gatherings with military uniforms, have you ever heard of any killings or shootings by the police, so why the lamenting? Well I have to say, your group were given time for their protest, they were told what time they should stop, but they went beyond the stipulated time and even went as far as blocking the road, causing the business man to loose sale for the non purchase of petrol,, you are saying this was right, by that time the police had to show up to stop them, the protesters before may hen taking place Can you remember the incidents of May 29th. 1979, why should they allow such events to take place AGAIN?
The answer to your pile of garbage is ask Skerrit to give the people Electoral Reform,because it will turn very ugly,and Skerrit and the police will be the losers,not the people .
You are blinded by your masters corruption. Your view is already totally twisted. Skerrit is breaking the law in not allowing Dominicans the right for peaceful demonstrations. For that, Skerrit and his henchmen ought to be thrown into jail. That is the moral and legal position! End of, full stop.
Beb, you are talking and asking nonsense. Where did you see, or were informed of any issue or plan to burn down Roseau? Why are you not making reference and focus the debate on this corrupt incompetent Labour Government to talk on our constitutional Rights and our democratic rights to vote under a very clean government. Stop representing and talking for failed Skerrit, who appears to be well off and ok as our families and young people continue to live in an area of poverty, unemployment and no jobs created. And stop your Nancy, in denial talk and in denial, (where you are scared to) to promote decent government and stop the corruption in the voters list where past election plane loads of Dominicans were brought in to vote for your ridiculous Skerrit and corrupt Labour party. that is the priority to save Domininca and kick out this failed corrupt government. Stop patronising Skerrit, he and his family are ok, so go mind your funky business and take care of your family & Dominica. PM Out
They shot live rounds in Salisbury. Fortunately nobody was hit. However the evidence was left behind in the form of spent shells and bullet holes in people houses.
It’s really not that deep. May hem? really? What about that protest spoke may hem to you? Come again.
What BS, illiterate, ignoramous, BS, nonsense talk is this,? Beb go read a book on decency in politics.
Burning what city,? For what…? Skerrit has already destroyed our city and country and, he is the one you should be pointing fingers at. Skerrit is a failure and the worse Prime Minister Domininca has eve seen, and this clown has to go. Our nature isle is operating in reverse, so no mater how you spell reverse it comes to the same. Skerrit must Go. His time is up, h, that failed useless, Skerrit is the biggest failure to Domininca. Very sad indeed to put a little boy still sucking finger to run a country as backward and poor as Domininca.
rit must Go…Hes a failure….Go away Skerrit, we are damaged enough.
GOOD!!! Finally the law is actually doing something.
Something like what?
Have you even known of any law in a democratic country that can stop people from protesting,?
You must tell the world about that..I think the law can fuel bigger protests.Hope Electoral Reform is given before that happens.
Go away, your opinion doesn’t count for nothing. You are clearly a paid up member of that dirty cabal.
The one and only Idiot. Thanks for telling us who and what you are. Lack knowledge of decency in politics, puts his silly PM first and not his country and family and blind to the issues and treats affecting our Nature island. That Skerrit must Go, He is a big Failure and you, nor your blind acolytes I have seen cannot tell us where development is taking place, apart from your failed Skerrit running away every week to some weird country and comes back empty handed talking BS to his compatriots. We in the civil service have disown Skerrit as a failure and waste of time. He must Go. Get on this train too save Domininca. Domininca and its suffering people are looking out for you. good Luck. Thanks
Good Comment leader patriot Kent Vital
Let me repeat what I wrote in an earlier post..
We concerned Dominicans need to call out these block headed DLP police goons by their names,and expose them as much as we possibly can .. It’s a blatant abuse of power by semi illiterates who are given chemical weapons (teargas) the and battle fireld guns to kill unarmed people…
They need to be exposed in the region and beyond…
But we need to continue protesting,it’s our right under the constitution .
Recently the mighty USA targeted those in president Maduros retinue..By exposing those idiotic goons by name change they too can get their commupance.
Skerrit Must Go
Skerrit Must Go
LAZY Skerrit Must Go Now
Oops
Comeuppance
Only a ruthlessly corrupt government would unyieldingly refuse to enact fair, just and sensible electoral reforms. These reforms would create a level playing field for all political contenders in a national election. No one would gain an advantage. This exactly how it should be in any true democracy. It’s inconceivable that any scrupulous, ethical leader would resort to violent means to suppress the people’s cries for positive, non-partisan changes to the electoral system. Tear-gassing nonviolent protesters will only serve to exacerbate the already volatile situation. Were these canisters of teargas expired? Have the Dominica Police Force had any prior training in unleashing this poisonous gas in a crowd? Using such brute action on women and children is the pinnacle of stupidity and irresponsibility. The person who ordered the discharge of these poisonous fumes on the peaceful demonstrators should be criminally charged.
Kent vital, as an individual heading the minority party in Dominica or rather the party which seem rather none existence, the Dominica Freedom Party, the once mighty party of Dominica, that is not the way to try to enrich in popularity by propagating articles of lies.
I have been witness to the pockets of demonstrations in Dominica which have been organized by opposing parties of which you have been an active part of in recent times. These protest actions have not always been lawful and I as a concern Dominican, I want to commend the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force for their proactive approach in putting measures in place to ensure that the lawlessness displayed by some members of the opposing parties in Dominica in the past is not repeated. I commend the law men!
Vital let me remind you, of the protest action labeled “de day in Dominica”. If my memories serve me right you played an active part in that demonstration. You shared the platform spreading words of hate and…
You must be referring to the day when Skerrit as PM said a stalled truck with speakers tried to overthrow his government?This man is such an impulsive and egregious liar
He even abused our money resources to send for Caricom I investigators,who obviously laughed at the idiot.
@Vivian
By the way there is absolutely nothing the police can do to stop the people from protesting.So put that in your DLP pipe and smoke it ….You too is an inveterate liar. I cannot remember Vital was on the platform maybe you wanted to say Monfared was on a plateform at Morne Daniel ..Liar!!!
Skerrit Must Go
Skerrit Must Go
LAZY Skerrit Must Go Now
Vivian, I am as surprise as you on his comments. I mean this is professionalism from an educated citizen. A leader of a political party. I expect these utterances from gang bangers and thugs. Is that an example of the streetmanship we should follow. Is that a model for our children. The power of importance displayed is not the response of a professional practicing ethical responsibility.
In all those demonstrations the police have executed their orders with the highest professionalism inspite of extreme provocations. They should be congratulated. We are fortunate to have such a body of law enforcers. You just have to look at the international news to see that our men in uniform are the best. Good job guys. Hats off to you. You carry out your mandate to maintain law and order, and protection to the highest order. Thanks.
Of course they are bullies but why doesn’t Mr. Vidal name the real offenders who gave the orders, Skerrit and Carbon. Skerrit needs to go because he keeps on braking the law (Constitution of Dominica).
you cannot block the road
@Crebd
Especially blocking the road to Electoral Reform..We the good Dominican people will fight with everything that we have to have elections with integrity. In 2014 OAS Election Observer Mission told the world that the election was not fair,,,Not this time ..We want fair election ..No one man who have dirtied his water so much that he is scared of losing power can stop that.
Skerrit Must Go
Skerrit Must Go
Lazy Skerrit Must Go Now
Stop blaming the damn people for blocking the road .why dont u tell skerite give electoral reform…. if he did they won’t be protesting in the first place …damno wicked set of peoplearning in that country
The local police are grossly inept. Their sole purpose seems to be acquiescing to Skerrit’s every demand. From the time that the CCM was granted permission to hold the rally, contingency plans to direct or redirect the traffic should have been one of the top priorities. That’s what is done in any well organized, well governed democracy. This lack of foresight on the part of the police makes them ineffective and almost useless. Does anything in Dominica work anymore?
Healthcare Z-
National Security Z-
Agriculture Z-
Traffic Z-
Education Z-
Public Service Z-
18 years of DLP’s Performance Z- – –
ADMIN: The Chief of Police has issued a statement saying that the protests were unlawful. DNO will provide more information on this development in a subsequent story.
Do you really know the law. I was under the impression that in a Democratic society the law states you must seek permission to hold a demonstration. hmm breaking the Law.