No approval for protest march…

May 16, 2008 News

‘I’m walking to my chambers’ – Corbin

Hundreds assembled at Mandela Avenue and Joseph Pollydore Street for a protest march and rally but when leader of the People’s National Congress Reform, Robert Corbin arrived, he told the gathering that approval for the activity had not been granted.
Corbin said that the reason cited by the police for the non-approval was the raucous behaviour that featured during the previous march when the marchers and demonstrators breached barricades.
He instructed his supporters to head home and since he had already sent away his vehicle, he would have to walk to his chambers on Croal Street.
Corbin then informed police ranks on the scene that since the approval for his procession was not granted and his vehicle was not there he would have to walk to his chambers.
Corbin started to walk along Joseph Pollydore Street accompanied by his supporters initially in a single file.
The crowd quickly clogged the roadway and immediately the police began to announce via a loud hailer that what was transpiring was an illegal procession and that the crowd should disperse.
Corbin quickly informed police that he was not leading any procession but that he was just walking peacefully to his chambers. The people in the crowd said that they were heading to the bus park to take buses home.

At one point during what can only be described as a march to the city a police rank attempted to reach close to Corbin but he was immediately hampered by the throng of supporters who insisted that Corbin cannot be arrested.
After snaking its way onto Croal Street, police ranks attached to the Quick Reaction Group attempted on several occasions, but to no avail, to stop the procession but each time Corbin insisted that he was merely walking to his chambers.
On several occasions the police using the load hailer announced that the action was an illegal procession. No one listened.
When the crowd reached Corbin’s Croal Street office, it then secured a number of placards and proceeded to picket outside of the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
This move by the crowd prompted the police to cordon off Avenue of the Republic at the entrance of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
This activity lasted for some time before the crowd dispersed with the promise of returning to the streets today.