(Trinidad Express) The Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) acknowledged yesterday that today’s Independence celebration deviates from tradition, “particularly with the present State of Emergency, and while no one can be proud of the need to take such drastic action, we can at least try to stand together as a people”.
According to DOMA, “The current State of Emergency originally caused many citizens to bow their heads in shame that this is what our country has come to, but in the days that have lapsed since, there have been some elements of sunshine peering through the dark clouds of the suspension of our liberties as at the time of writing, we have had no further bloodshed which preceded these past several weeks.”
Contacted yesterday afternoon, DOMA president Gregory Aboud said, “I cannot take credit for the tone of DOMA’s statement, but to be honest, Port of Spain is that kind of place where everyone meets, and we have been listening to everyone about how they feel about this limited State of Emergency and the curfew, and we have also noticed a reduction in crime and accidents.”
DOMA continued however, “One unfortunate theme of the current state of affairs continues to be the complaint that law enforcement agencies are targeting particular communities in their efforts, and while we do not wish to judge any strategic initiative of any element of this strategy being employed by our Ministry of National Security, we do wish to respectfully remind all law enforcement authorities and all of our citizens at large that within these communities reside a majority of decent, hard-working and law-abiding citizens.”
DOMA continued, “We also feel that there has been a renewed degree of respect for law enforcement agencies and for law and order and, in particular, that our law enforcement agencies have responded to this State of Emergency with renewed vigour and dedication to their jobs.”
