TT: Anti-crime protest spreads

Activity in Penal/Debe came to a halt yesterday, as more than 200 businesses in the area closed from 2 pm to 5 pm, in protest against the escalating crime wave.

Penal/Debe Chamber of Commerce president Leo Doodnath said more than 75 per cent of the business owners in the area co-operated in the shutdown.

He said they acted because they were “fed up and frustrated” and wanted to send a strong signal to the Government and National Security Minister Martin Joseph.

“There is this air of hopelessness in our people and we want to send a message to the authorities and the people in charge that something has to be done,” he said.

Courts, Fong’s Supermarket, Penal Shopping Centre, Sinanan’s Drug World Ltd and Royal Castle were among the stores which were closed.

Placards which read, “Penal Shopping Centre Says No To Kidnapping and Murder” and “Too Much Crime, Business People are no Longer Safe,” were hung in several areas.

Taxi drivers also supported the action, as they parked their cars and refused to work until 5 pm.

However, KFC remained open.

It's not just business people who are no longer safe; nobody is safe because criminals have free rein. Jail the thieves; execute the murderers -- starting with the Muslimeen -- and clamp down on the youth by imposing a curfew on them. The thing is, civil society has to be restored, and the law abiding must be allowed to live without fear of thugs.