By Nelson A. King
The Caribbean Community
(CARICOM) has condemned the
physical assault on the Prime
Minister of St. Vincent and the
Grenadines, Dr. Ralph E. Gonsalves,
during a protest last
week organized by the main
opposition New Democratic
Party (NDP).
“As chair of the Caribbean
Community, Prime Minister of
Antigua and Barbuda and in my
own capacity, I condemn the
physical assault upon the Prime
Minister of St. Vincent and the
Grenadines. Dr. Ralph Gonsalves,”
said Gaston Browne,
Antigua and Barbuda prime
minister.
“The assault was serious and
almost fatal,” he added. “As it
is, Dr. Gonsalves injury to his
head is still being medically
assessed.”
The CARICOM chair said that
the introduction of violence into
the political life of CARICOM is
“shameful and deplorable,” stating
that “those responsible for it
must be brought to justice with
all due dispatch.
“The assault is all the more
shameful because it occurred as
the prime minister was walking
into the national parliament,
the highest law-making body of
the State, where a robust debate
was taking place in full regard
for democratic principles of dissent
and discussion,” he added.
“There is no place for violence
and personal physical assaults
in our CARICOM democracies,
where the rule of law prevails
and rights, including the right
to peaceful protests, are fully
upheld,” he added. “All-law abiding
and well-thinking people of
CARICOM should join in resolution
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that such gratuitous violence
will not be tolerated in our
peaceful societies.
“Our prayers are with Dr.
Gonsalves for a speedy recovery,”
Browne continued. “He
has been and remains an invaluable
Caribbean son and leader,
deserving of the greatest
respect.”
According to the Caribbean
Media Corporation (CMC), Gonsalves,
who turned 75 on Sunday,
suffered a concussion when
he was struck in the head by
an object outside Parliament
on Thursday during the protest
organized by the NDP and two
trade unions against a move by
the government to have frontline
workers vaccinated against
the coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic.
“By the grace of God
almighty, I am doing well and
on the mend. It is confirmed
that there are no neurological
deficits,” wrote Gonsalves on
Friday on his Facebook page.
“However, I have suffered a concussion
and must be monitored
over the next four to six weeks.
But it could have been far more
serious.
“I take this assault as not
just an injury, but also look to
the intent of the throwing of
this projectile at me,” he added.
“The intent was to cause grave
harm, even death.”
CMC said that Gonsalves,
who flew to Barbados for further
medical treatment, suffered
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves,
his shirt covered in blood, is evacuated after media
reported that he was hit by a stone during a protest in
Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Aug. 5, 2021.
REUTERS/Robertson S. Henry
the concussion, “a type of
traumatic brain injury caused
by a bump, blow, or jolt to the
head or by a hit to the body that
causes the head and brain to
move rapidly back and forth.”
Parliament has since
approved the amendments
to the Public Health Act that
allows for the vaccination of
public sector employees, considered
to be front line workers and
removing the word “voluntary”
from a section of the law that
refers to “vaccination against
an illness that has triggered the
declaration of a public health
emergency — as is the case
with the coronavirus (COVID-
19) pandemic,” CMC said.
CARICOM condemns physical
assault on Vincentian PM
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