NCD Metropolitan police commander Ben Turi says that Noel Anjo must control his supporters so they do not further fuel tensions at big gatherings such as yesterday’s (Monday 26th October) public protest.
Turi says that the fight began when a young boy called one of the police who was trying to remove the banners on the main stage truck “Five kina police”.
He says that this is an insult and goes to show an apparent lack of command and control from the protestors to at least respect police who up until then allowed them to gather peacefully.
This incident, Turi says, incited the fights to start and is a clear indication ofa lack of crowd control and command by the NGO groups.
Meantime, NCD police commander Sylvester Kalaut says that if rights are to be exercised such as a protest march and a public gathering, all citizens must be responsible.
He says that in this instance the rights of others were not guaranteed.
Kalaut says that as citizens we all have to respect the laws of this country and respect the rights of others as well.
However he says that citizens who are in the process of respecting their rights must also respect others as well, even that of the police officer who is also exercising their duty.