UNC supporters show love to Kamla; protest Imbert’s budget

Senior Reporter

kay-marie.fletcher@guardian.co.tt

Scores of United National Congress (UNC) protesters gathered outside the Parliament yesterday, ahead of Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s response to the Budget 2025.

Booing Government ministers as they arrived, the vibrant crowd called for Persad-Bissessar to be the next prime minister, as some said they were disappointed with this year’s Budget.

The protest lasted an hour from 9 am to 10 am, with the crowd spending the majority of the time chanting “Rowley must go! Rowley must go!”, greeting Opposition members and waving placards with expressions of support for Persad-Bissessar.

Some protesters said they were hoping to see more done for public servants, youths and pensioners.

UNC supporter Darron Daniel, from Arima, said he was disappointed the Government did not increase old age pension.

Daniel said, “The Budget was disappointing. I was disappointed to see the percentage they gave to public servants. That is totally unacceptable. The people refuse to accept that offer. I didn’t see they mentioned anything about the increase for the pensioners. That is something I think should have been increased. I didn’t see anything for the youths and I can go on and on.”

Daniel explained why he chose to support the Opposition.

“We just decided to come to give the political leader the full support that she needs at this point because people are totally fed up with this Government. The country is just getting harder and harder each and every day,” he added.

Protester Nigel Moses said given the country’s crime problem, he hoped to see plans for more decisive action.

“Security and social welfare are two issues being overlooked by the Government. Arima has become the number one hot spot in Trinidad and Tobago. We have a lot of murders happening in the Heights of Guanapo. Crime is uncontrolled by the TTPS and there’s no intervention by the Government,” he said.

“When it comes to social welfare, there’s an increase in street dwellers. We’re having teenagers now on the streets of Arima. There’s no system that is in place to treat with this. It’s also a nightmare for pensioners to get their pension. And that’s why I came out to support the Opposition Leader today.”

After greeting supporters yesterday, Opposition Senator Wade Mark said the protesters were echoing the complaints from the majority of citizens in the country fed up and tired with the way the country is being governed.

Mark said, “Citizens are expressing their outrage, their anguish and their anger. So what we’re seeing here is a microcosm. It’s a typical manifestation of how the country feels.”

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