PBR, highway blocked

The residents’ action sent scores of heavily armed police, some outfitted in full riot gear, out to the scene to ensure law and order as well as to oversee removal of the burning debris which caused a backup of traffic along both key transport routes.

During the PBR protest yesterday morning, the angry residents were met by Laventille (East) MP and junior Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds, who tried his best to placate them. Hinds later told the media some of the delay in several key work being done to upgrade existing infrastructure in the Beetham area, was caused by the residents themselves, who Hinds said, were fighting and shooting over who could get which job.

The protest intensified in the evening with residents blocking the highway first and then moving to the PBR, which had been cleared of debris strewn in the earlier protest. The evening protest caused panic among stranded motorists when angry protesters were confronted by the armed police.

Beetham residents pushed tyres, boxes, metal and even the shell of a red car onto the highway and set them on fire, causing a massive pile up of traffic heading out of Port-of-Spain.

Taxi drivers, commuters and motorists switched off their car engines and came out of their vehicles while others virtually transformed the east bound lane into a dual-carriageway when they drove their vehicles in a westerly direction to escape the fiery protest.

This caused even more confusion as only a few got into the shortcut through the Beetham Estate while others blocked other vehicles.

At 4.54 pm, motorists on the highway were allowed to pass after firemen and police cleared the road. However, this was not the end of the protest. Angry residents threw an old boat onto the PBR and set it alight, which caused a major pile up of traffic.

Policemen used parts of the debris, namely pieces of wood, to push the burning boat to the side of the PBR to allow the traffic to move.

Police later questioned Beetham residents Sherma Wilson and Juliette Davy who are members of the Beetham Estate Secretariat. Both Davy and Juliette gave emotional speeches to the media on Tuesday, highlighting what they claimed, was Government’s lack of attention to the needs of the Beetham area.

Both women told Newsday that the police said they (the officers) would review tapes of Davy and Wilson’s appearance on the television news on Tuesday, to note if they were inciting protest action and if so, they could face criminal charges.

Davy said that for the past 35 years, Beetham residents have been clamouring for a community centre and they have been getting promises from respective government of the day.

Contacted yesterday, MP for the area Eulalie James said, “I am a little taken aback that construction of the community centre has not started and we are hoping to fast track it.”

She added that she is working on getting the drains cleaned and assured that she has always championed the cause of Beetham residents.