Tobago lifeguards march through Scarborough

NOT only did Tobago lifeguards proceed yesterday with a protest march through the streets of Scarborough without police permission, they also got the attentive, sympathetic ear of THA Chief Secretary Orville Lon-don. Following some minor wrangling with police led by ASP Dillon, the lifeguards were allowed to proceed with the march and later met London who was heading towards the THA’s weekly Exe-cutive Council meeting.

After speaking to London, who wore a concerned look on his face, the lifeguards were told by the Chief Secretary to write two letters and have them forwarded to him and the THA’s Secretary for Tourism. Yesterday’s protest action in Tobago, mirrored that of Trinidadian lifeguards who held their own protest outside White-hall. As the Tobago lifeguards assembled at the corner of Milford Road and Mt Marie Junction, they were met by a contingent of police who informed them that the march was not approved.

This was met with an angry retort by NUGFW first deputy president-general James Lambert who accompanied the lifeguards. Lambert explained that early approval was sought for the march and expressed surprise that permission was not granted. “You have approximately 40 persons here, we did not even apply for a PA system, to say that we would be disturbing the peace. Yet permission was not even granted?” Lambert asked. “And we find this very unusual since in a peaceful climate like Tobago where democracy normally prevails, it was enunciated that what Tobago wants Tobago gets,” he continued.

However, after convincing the police that the demonstration was a peaceful one which received the blessings of the THA Chief Sec-retary, the guards were allowed to continue their march. The group was fortunate to meet with London who arrived at the Tourism Division compound for the weekly Executive Council meeting.