A massive protest started in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday. People came out in droves to protest against the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The demonstration, dubbed the “Push Back” protest, saw hundreds marching around the Queen’s Park Savannah. Protesters stood in solidarity against Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley’s management of the pandemic and the vaccination policy for government workers.
The protesters, led by social activist Umar Abdullah of the First Wave Movement, chanted, “Rowley must go.”
The protest took place just hours after Rowley announced that the government delayed the implementation of its vaccine policy for public health workers until mid-February.
The initial effective date for the policy was Monday, January 17.
The prime minister also announced the establishment of a five-member team to investigate the factors contributing to the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients.
In the meantime, several people were held by the police during the protest.
According to the police, it asked Abdullah and his supporters to leave, as they did not have a permit from the acting Commissioner of Police to protest. However, the crowd persisted, and the march went on.
The police say after it made several attempts to disperse the large crowd, it called the riot police, and officers began detaining protesters. Other officers fired tear gas canisters at the crowd.
