Dominica’s Opposition Leader Lennox Linton and five others appeared in court on Thursday charged in connection with their involvement in unapproved protest walks in the capital.
However, the organizer of the walks Atherton Martin, who was also charged, said they would not be deterred from continuing their weekly marches for peace justice, and prosperity in Dominica.
Linton who is the leader of the United Workers’ Party, along with Martin, Roseau North MP Danny Lugay, as well as Oliver Walsh, Davidson Julian, and Sarah Ann Margarette-Laroque, all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The charge states that in March and April, they participated in public processions in Roseau – dubbed Walk-in Roseau on Wednesdays – without the written permission of the police chief, contrary to the provisions of Section 54(A) of the Public Order Act, Chapter 15.01 of the consolidated laws of Dominica.
They are to reappear in court on October 14, by which time the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions will determine a way forward.
The police have also filed charges against four others – Julius Gabriel, Bernard Hurtault, Earl Bruno, and Brian Linton – but they have not yet appeared in court.
Despite finding himself in trouble with the law, Martin insisted that the walks will continue and extend beyond the capital.
“Of course, we intend to continue walking, not just in the city, but we’re going to walk all over Dominica like we did last night,” he said.
“We walked in the city in the morning, we went to Salisbury in the evening. We’re going to walk in the city next Wednesday, then we’ll go to another community and walk in the evening. And so, we will gradually extend the awareness possibilities of these issues of peace and justice and prosperity that are the focus of our walking to other parts of the country, and we will not stop.”
CMC/
