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Police Minister Apologizes, But Says Police Were Doing Their Job on Bridge
posted (September 7, 2017)
Last night we showed you everything that happened when the PUP went to block the Tower Hill Bridge in Orange Walk. It unfolded quite quickly after the party had a rally in the town's Central Park. From there, the PUP Leader John Bricneo and his Orange Walk South Representative raced to the bridge and blocked it. The rest, as they say, is history - or at least history in the making. 45 Minutes later, the bridge and the road were cleared and the police had teargassed and dispersed dozens of party supporters. But did police go too far? And did they target and attack a female journalist? Those are some of the many burning questions in the public mind after yesterday's event son the bridge.

Today, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the police took control of the narrative. Minister of State Elodio Aragon, flanked by the Commander of Police Operations Edward Broaster opened with a brief account of the day's events, and an apology:...

Hon. Elodio Aragon, Minister of State - Home Affairs
"The parade and the rally proceeded peacefully up until a call was made by the Leader of the Opposition for the protestors to proceed to the toll bridge and to block the highway. They proceeded to the toll bridge to stage an illegal demonstration. Members of the police department were immediately dispatched to the toll bridge in order to persuade any such event from taking place."

"Immediately thereafter a group of people led by senior members of the People's United Party including Servulo Baeza, Hon. Abelardo Mai and the Leader of the Opposition Hon. John Briceno and others arrived at the toll bridge and proceeded to block the bridge with vehicles and gathered at the northern end approach of the bridge of the Phillip Goldson Highway."

"Police reinforcements arrived promptly and took measures to dialogue and to disperse the crowd that was illegally blocking the approach to the bridge and the free flow of traffic. Despite the efforts to get to them to disperse peacefully, members of the crowd attempted to resist the efforts of the police. The police eventually cleared both the highway and the bridge with the use of CS gas. The police apologizes to those members of the public including the members of the press who were out there about their lawful business and were affected by the measures use by the police to restore law and order and to protect the members of the public in general."

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