The Bahamas Police have warned that the safety and security of all Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders and diplomats as well as officials attending the CARICOM summit will not be compromised as they arrested 18 people including four women, who staged a protest outside the venue where the summit is being held.
“Police wish to inform members of the public that the safety and security of all diplomats attending CARICOM will be treated seriously and with the strictest enforcement of the law. Additionally, the public is advised to avoid the conference area if they can as much as possible for the next two days,” the police said in a statement.
Police said those who were detained did not have proper authorization to hold a protest and were asked to disperse and leave the area immediately, but they refused to do so. The 18 people were arrested for unlawful assembly, resisting arrest and causing a nuisance.
National Security Minister Wayne Munroe told The Tribune newspaper the property had to be secured for the high-level event.
“The area is being held as a sterile area because of the presence of the heads there inclusive of the Haitian PRESIDENT. Issues of security are exceptions to every constitutional guaranteed right other than the Article 18 right to protection against forced labor,” Munroe said.
“The RBPF and its law enforcement partners are discharging their security obligations with regard to the CARICOM meeting. You can search and find that the response is standard … empowering irresponsible behavior is not productive,” he added.
Police said among those detained is Lincoln Bain, the leader of a fringe political party, who live streamed the protest on social media.
“The police came and told me they want to talk with me, but they wanted me to go to walk across street with them. I said I’m not going in no bush. They wanted me to go over there in the bush to talk … Eventually decided that they will talk to me right here… He said, ‘You all aren’t allowed to be here’. He said, ‘did you get a permit?’ I said ‘no law requires us to get a permit.’ I said, ‘which law requires us to get a permit?’”
The CARICOM summit ends later on Friday.
CMC
