Sticks and Stones

Media threatened at cell tower dismantling
Ruth Osman

Sunday, May 27th 2007

Media personnel were threatened by men contracted to dismantle a Digicel cell tower at Jerningham Avenue, Petit Bourg last Friday.

TV6 camera woman, Kerry Patrick, told the Sunday Express that she, along with photographers from other media houses, was taking shots of the dismantling process when the workers asked them to desist.

She said they complied but the men, who felt they were being ignored, were upset.

"One came out of the van and pelt a stone after the Guardian photographer," she said. "He missed and he came up to me with a stone in his hand."

President of the Association for Radio Frequency Emission Control in Trinidad and Tobago (ArFECTT), Peter Permell, in a press release, condemned the "unwarranted and unprovoked verbal and ... physical attack on the media personnel".

He said that the matter should be taken seriously and called on Digicel to issue a public apology to the media houses and the residents of Jerningham Avenue.

But Digicel public relations manager, Kevin Garcia, says that it is unfair to blame the company.

"We are getting reports that there may have been words between people, but there were villagers there also ... It's anybody's guess if it was the villagers or the sub-contractors," he said.

The telecommunications company is conducting investigations into the matter.

But what nonsense Kevin Garcia talking? It unfair to blame the company because the people who working for them assault media workers? And I real upset about this one because is my colleagues in the media that were attacked.
Words between people? Anybody's guess? Lets see. We have a picture!
Who is this? A villager? And why would a villager attack the media person who came to cover the very thing that they were fighting for? Wouldn't they be glad the media was there? Mr Garcia, your company has ultimate responsibility for all its workers, including sub-contractors. Unfair to blame the company? Look you get me vex yes. You hire your rango-tango people who have no behavior and then saying it unfair to blame the company?
If I hire some people to do some work in your house and they thief from you or damage something, ent is me you coming to look for?
Mr Garcia, your company's slogan is 'Expect More, Get More". Well I expected more from you.
Steups. You making me feel to switch back to the other network.