KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent – Camillo Gonsalves, this country’s permanent representative to the United Nations, is not “particularly optimistic” about the outcome of an expected New York Police Department (NYPD) internal review of his arrest by one its officers on March 28.
The diplomat’s doubts exist even after Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, informed him on Tuesday that she had persuaded the law enforcement agency to conduct a thorough internal review of the incident.
“She (Rice) was very clear that the Untied States takes its responsibility very seriously to protect all diplomats and to protect their dignity and that they should be free from the sort of indignities that St. Vincent and the Grenadines was subjected to. There was no water in her mouth when she said that. She was very clear about that.” Gonsalves said Wednesday night.
He was at the time briefing Vincentians in New York and responding to their questions about his arrest — and the fallout thereafter — by the NYPD officer in the lobby of the building where this country’s U.N Mission is located in Lower Manhattan, New York.
Gonsalves was handcuffed for about 20 minutes after he stepped through barricades outside the building — something he said building occupants do regularly.
The NYPD officer cited “disorderly conduct,” according to a statement Gonsalves filed with Kingstown last month.
“Rice is a black woman who grew in Washington D.C. She has Jamaican grandparents, so she is linked to the Caribbean and she would be no stranger to the occasional excesses of police power,” Gonsalves said.
He added that he was grateful for the “personal interest and her personal intervention in this matter” of the the U.S. envoy, who visited him at his Mission on Tuesday.
“But I did point out to her that while I am glad to hear that the New York Police Department is conducting a thorough internal review, I have been here long enough and watched enough news programmes to know that even when unarmed people are killed, after the thorough internal review, more often than not, the New York Police Department finds that their officer acted properly,” Gonsalves further sated.
He said that he did not have to tell the gathering, of New York residents of “the number of stories” in Brooklyn — where the meeting was held — where Vincentians and other people “have been subject to police misconduct … and after a thorough internal review, the officers have been found to be blameless.
“So, I appreciate the review. I think it is important, especially in light of the fact that the international law says they should not have arrested me. But that does not mean that I am particularly optimistic as to the outcome of that review,” Gonsalves said.
“I am still hopeful that after our own letter to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and Ambassador Rice’s own strong interest in this matter that the police can respond formally acknowledging … that they were wrong to arrest and detain a diplomatic representative of the independent and sovereign nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” he said.
He, however, said that the NYPD might not have had enough time to respond to the letter or might be planning to do so after the review.
The government here has written New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly “telling them what happened, informing them of their obligation to respect the Vienna Convention [that governs diplomatic relations], informing them that we think their officers were not properly trained to perform the task they were ask to do and asking for a few things,” Gonsalves said.
“We are asking for an apology and we are asking for Ray Kelly’s personal intervention to ensure that his officers guarding these buildings are better trained and better sensitised,” he further stated.
“We have no problem with the NYPD as a whole,” he said, adding that the NYPD has done “an excellent job, by and large, guarding and protecting the building.
“But, what we have seen in this incident is that many, many of them are poorly trained and poorly sensitised to what is taking place,” he said.
“Training is important but I would also respectfully suggest that attitude is also important,” Gonsalves further stated.
NO one is optimistic because he is wrong
ok
stop all this nonsense
Not optimistic? Did he just expect Ambassador Rice to simply exercise her influence in having Officer Parker sacked? Such behaviour is only exhibited in the ULP in which his papa is in total control. Camillo, let the investigative process take its full course and do not allow injustice and haughtiness, which so characterise your father-controlled ULP, to interfere in a just process.
Another thing, this talk about Ambassador Rice being black only shows how racist and undignified you all are. Are you suggesting that as a black person she should ensure that things go your way? What about truth and justice. Ambassador Rice is a strong, proud black woman who will not allow spoilt, cry cry babies to taint her character.
Hi camello, I heard every word of your address last night and I am on your side. I am a vincy patriot so I will support you now and forever . However I am sure that had you done a few things differently then maybe things would not have gone so bad. Oh i do agree that the NYPD officer was wrong in touching you but at no time in your speech did you ever say to the officer that you were a diplomatic. I think when the officer touched you , you should have said to him, ” Officer i am a diplomat and as such you CANNOt arrest me,”….So althought i give you my support in this I honestly think that had you just tell the officer who you were it would have helped….just saying
If he understood that the officer was well within his duties in questioning/arresting an unknown male,walking through the barricade leading to the israelis,he shouldn’t be “optimistic” about the outcome with regards to himself.But he sould be optimistic in that office Parker executed his duties well,suppose he gets officer Parker replaced with a policeman who stops no one and Camillo is a casualty of a suicide bomber who is targeting israelis,what then? Camillo should be proud of officer Parer,if Officer parker would stop an ambassador,odds are no terrorist will get by security on his watch..Officer Parker should be given a medal,by the ULP and a rally
Camillo should be replaced with Storm Gonsalves,Soleil Gonsalves or Isis Gonsalves all the Comrade’s children should be ambassador.I wish to thank Susan Rice for her courtesy to Ambassador Gonsalves,the U.S state department would not stand idly by as one of their citizens get wrongfully arrested,as an American citizen Camillo has the rights of any American Citizen,as a Jamaican Citizen Camillo has all the rights of a Jamaican Citizen,and as a Vincentian Citizen Camillo has the rights of any Vincentian. President Obama,Portia Simpson Miller,and Ralph Gonsalves need to make a joint press conference regarding the arrest of an Amerijamcentian citizen
Hahahaahaahah, You have broken the record for the longest chain of nonsense I have ever seen strung together. “Storm Gonsalves,Soleil Gonsalves or Isis Gonsalves all the Comrades children should be ambassador”? are you serious, you don’t just make someone an ambassador because you like them, it’s a serious job, no body outside of ST Vincent respect the PM and his family, you people need to get that. And when you put someone in such a position, such as ambassador without proper home training and behavior, you end up with what happened to Camillo.
Get a life u racist jackass!
@Jason
I have never been called a racist in my life, but guess what, am not the only Vincy person who is called racist these days, that’s thanks to another Comrade contribution to St Vincent. What about all the people who don’t like Mr Eustace because he black, and laughing at all the comrade’s “black as midnight” jokes, quite a few Vincy people
have inferiority complex but i am not one of them.And only in the Vincy would the comrade be called anything but a black man, yes i said a black man, he has mixed ancestry just like the rest of us.I showed his picture to my wife (who was born and raised in HoustonTexas), and she said the best the comrade can pass for is looking Mexican,but still,he convinced stupid Vincy people like that he’s white. I feel pity for idiots like you, but guess what, Adolf Hitler had his sympathizers too and they were all Patriots, but we know how that story turned out.
A bunch of grown man who act like groupies, that’s all you are. Not one of you can engage in a serious conversation about how Ralph is good for St Vincent. All you do is talk about all his “big” ideas, that’s why i know most of his supporters are just greedy people. This is the man’s vision for a country that is broke, and keep in mind the airport alone has this country on our knees in the worst shape ever.He wants to make a cross country road, he knows where it’s going to start and end but don’t know where it’s going to be placed , hahah, better yet he wants to make a tunnel from kingstown, but that alone is hundreds of millions of dollars. I mean anyone who believes these stupid ideas are idots, and am sure still believes in fairy tales. If comrade dressed in a red suit for christmas and say HO HO HO all his supporters would believe he’s santa clause. What a bunch of stupid people you are.
“Training is important but I would also respectfully suggest that attitude is important”. Camillo’s quote. I sincerely hope that he would reread and see how it relates to him. If he was trained and instilled with a humble attitude none of this would have happened. Never mind, papa has his “team of well trained lawyers” who no doubt will be well paid to deal with those bullies in the United States. Talk about “team”, what about “Team SVG” at the CARIFTA games? Every island seem to have a contingent of athletes at those games…. SVG IS NOTABLE ABSENT.
The ULP marxist government of Ralph Gonsalves however saw fit to send a contingent to the “ALBA games” in Venezuela . Note: Ralph Gonsalves is only interested in his political ‘progrom’ for SVG and the rest of the Caribbean .
After eleven years of babbling, the promise of a stadium has morphed into a concrete lie. With eight brain cells left one cannot expect even the thought of installing a tract at the Arnos Vale playing field. In the meantime the quality of life in Ralph Gonsalves GULAG continues to decline for everyone particularly the YOUTH of our nation for whom the future is at best , DISMAL. However his ” team of lawyers “are at the ready to defend his arrogant son – “the diplomat” who could not walk from his car into a building without causing an (sic) international crisis. Some Diplomat!
BLANE, go and take your MEDICATION because it is you who have BROKEN the RECORD for the LONGEST CHAIN of NONSENSE that anyone has strung together.
Do you actually believe that NONSENSE of yours that NO ONE RESPECT the PM and his FAMILY outside of St. Vincent?
Are you saying NO ONE at the UNITED NATIONS RESPECT Ambassador GONSALVES or VINCENTIANS in the DIASPORA do not RESPECT him?
Look, like I said, go and TAKE your MEDICATION.
You idiots that think Camillo was wrong.stop embarrassing alyo stupid selves and go read up on the geneva convention laws,and take your lips off america’s ass,you sell outs!
Why does everything have to get so political? The officer was WRONG. The Vienna Convention on Dipomatic Relations states clearly (a) that a diplomat, moreso a Head of Mission, is immune from arrest and (b) that it is the duty of the receiving state (in this case the USA) to ensure that the terms of the Convention are upheld. This Convention was drawn up not by SVG, but by countries like the USA in order to provide protection for THEIR Diplomats. SVG is a latecomer to this game and we had to sign up to these Conventions when we became independent if we wanted to have diplomatic relations with places like the USA. The agreement between the UN and the USA establishing the UN headquarters in New York states that the terms of the Vienna Convention apply. (You can find all these documents through Google). It is the responsibility of the USA to ensure that ALL diplomats are protected. If this is done through the Police in the state concerned, i.e. New York in the case of diplomats attached to the UN, then the USA needs to put some mechanism in place to ensure that the NYPD know what is required of them. At the least police who will be expected to come into contact with diplomats should be (a) trained in the terms of the relevant Conventions and Agreement, (b) know which buildings house diplomatic offices, especially if they are going to guard such offices, (c) know which countries are in the buildings they ar guarding (d) be acqainted with the diplomatic pass issued by the UN, (in the case of New York) or the State Department (in the case of Washington DC) and if necessary, have posted prominently in their outpost the photographs of the persons concerned. What should NOT happen is that a superior officer should be ignorant of what “Permanent Representative” on a UN Diplomatic ID means (as I saw in one I-Witness News report) when he is supposedly guarding the offices of Permanent Representatives of not one (Israel) but several UN member states.
And what I understood by Mr Gonsalves comment that he was “not optimistic” about the NYPD proposed review was not that he expected the the Ambassador of the USA to the UN to “exercise her influence” but that he did not think that anything would change in the NYPD. Personally, I don’t think anything will change either – which is a sad indictment of the USA generally. And no, I am not a ULP supporter – this disclaimer is for those who think that one must either agree with or condemn everything any member of the ULP says or does.
Pat:
I do understand and respect your position on this matter. But there is a flip side to the whole issue. No one should at least try to misunderstand the meaning and intent, or even misapply, the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic relations. But, given the current climate of terrorist activities around the world, the United States, and especially New York CIty as a known target, and given the propensity and capability for terrorists to engage in disguises, deception etc., is it possible that the NYC police officer could have mistaken our ambassador (Mr. Gonsalves) for someone other than a diplomat given his approach to the compound?
The answer is that it is likely.
If then so, did Mr. Gonsalves responded appropriately when confronted by the police officer?
I think not.
Everything that occured thereafter the police officer approached Mr. Gonsalves (whether it was rude or not) could have been avoided if Mr. Gonsalves had identified himself properly. It would have been the diplomatic thing to do, and if Mr. Gonsalves felt violated in any way then there are channels in which he could seek due process – and we would not have been having this discussion now.
One should also consider this point: Had it been a real terrorist who might have ultimately blown up the building and that our ambassador were within doing his duties and faced the ultimate, that said officer would have been (or might have been) looked at very differently.
I need say here that I do not have a partisan dog in this fight.
DWELLS, you are most DEFINITELY not a VINCENTIAN.
If you’re, you do not have a PATRIOTIC nor a NATIONALISTIC BONE in your BODY.
That said; you do have a PARTISAN DOG in this FIGHT. All you have to do is LOOK at the VAST MAJORITY of your POSTINGS for the ANSWER.
Vincy Powa:
Who determines whether one is a vincentian or not? You?! Do you think that because you shroud your blinded coments with words like “Patriot” and “nationalistic” and the likes, makes you a true vincentian? I am a vincentian who refuse to believe the crap I’m hearing from the likes of you. I will not watch MY country go into the gutter while holding on to the atrocities of one man or a political party. As I have said in the past I have learned from upbringing the true meaning of patriotism. My family has voted for all political parties that ever existed in SVG. This we have done because we vote on principles, issues and substance, not rhetoric, lies and deception. This we have been taught…, and the lesson being: “Don’t be a Vincy Powa.” Some of the world’s most notable “patriots” are also the world’s most notorious – Adolph Hitler being one of them. Now, do you think that because I disagree with your off the wall concepts of patriotism I am not a vincentian? Go fish.
He needs to comb his hair
Ambassadorial training begins at home,train up an ambassador the way he should go and in the future he will not depart,spare the handcuffs spoil the child. Ambassador G was discourteous to the policeman so the police was discourteous to him.It’s like being stopped randomly and driving off…. Sir Do you know the speed limit in the UN building is under 1 mph?Why are you speeding?Are you aware that you walked through a Barricade,meant to divert traffic so all persons/vehicles can be inspected by me?
One four dispatch,reporting unidentified male speeding past his location,suspect is presumed arrogant and stupid,proceed with extreme caution
Camillo felt because he is an ambassador he is above the law. If he acted unprofessional when the officer approached him the situation would not get this far instead he told tne cop you are not talking to me.
Come on as ambassador one wouldthink he would be more professional and diplomatic when confronted with a situation but instead he acted as though he is above the law. Stop pointing fingers camilo and take a look in the mirror. For those who refered to the geneva convention I am familiar with both the ILo and the Geneva convention. DIPLOMACY WORKS
And if you think it’s just the NYPD and Camillo, check this BBC article – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17699074
But Pat, those incidents cited in the reports on the link you provided atr totally different from Mr. Gonsalves situation. Those people were ‘frisked’ detained and ‘searched’ etc. because the look or dressed a certain way. Mr. Gonsalves ‘broke’ through a security barricade. Those in the article coorporated while Mr. Gonsalves (feeling disrespected) tried to trade insults.
I don’t want to seem as though I am against our ambassador, but I know for sure that I would not have handled the situation in the same way. If I stepped out of a vehicle with diplomatic plates I wuld have gained access to the property through the prescribed pathway. However, if I somehow choose to go pass the barricade as didMr. Gonsalves, I see nothing wrong in identifying myself to the officer who, supposedly, was trying to do his job by trying to keep everyone on the premises safe.
Pat Robinson Commissing, I am not sure if your stupid or just havn’t read all the posts prior to this news item. Prior to being arrested he never told the police officer he was a dilplomat. The rules of the diplomatic game can only apply when the officer is aware of who he is, when asked he refused to show his ID.
He is just a dumb arse boy who needs diplomatic training in diplomatic procedure and behaviour.
The RULES of the DIPLOMAT GAME is for an NYPD OFFICER not to ENTER a BUILDING that he doesn’t have JURISDICTION over and ARREST a DIPLOMAT without just cause.
If the OFFICER had any SENSE or any AWARENESS, he would have GRASP that AMBASSADOR GONSALVES was a MAN of IMPORTANCE or a DIPLOMAT by the MERE FACT that he received CLEARANCE from the SECURITY PERSONNEL inside the BUILDING who are RESPONSIBLE for CHECKING IDENTIFICATION.
All the NYPD OFFICER had to do was to asked the SECURITY PERSONNEL, who CLEARED AMBASSADOR GONSALVES to ENTER the INSIDE of the SECURITY area, who he is and I am sure that they would have TOLD him that CAMILLO GONSALVES is the AMBASSADOR of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to the UNITED NATIONS.
However, it seems like the OFFICER already had this PRECONCEIVED NOTION of who and what Ambassador Gonsalves was and so ENTERED the BUILDING with ONE AGENDA in MIND, thus the DEBACLE that TOOK PLACE.
AMBASSADOR GONSALVES has GARNERED even MORE RESPECT than he what he has ACHIEVED at the UNITED NATIONS by the MANNER in which he has HANDLED this UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT.
The FACT that the AMBASSADOR of the UNITED STATES to the UNITED NATIONS, SUSAN RICE, came to AMBASSADOR GONSALVES’ OFFICE and “has expressed regret on behalf of herself and the US Government at an incident in which Ambassador Camillo Gonsalves was subject to arrest and detention by the New York Police Department (NYPD) as he attempted to enter his office has SHOWN that Camillo took the right stance on this matter.
Moreover, this was the FIRST TIME that a CABINET-LEVEL OFFICIAL of the U.S. Government visited the Vincentian Mission.
That said; CHATOYER, MLK, RALPH BUNCHE, MALCOLM X, BUSSA, NELSON and WINNIE MANDELA, ROSA PARKS, GEORGE WILLIAM GORDON, PAUL BOGLE, EBENEZER JOSHUA, ELMA FRANCOIS, NANNY OF THE MAROONS, DUVALLE, GEORGE MCINTOSH, Patrice Lumumba, Frantz Fanon, Kwame Nkrumah, C.L.R JAMES, TOUSSAINT LOUVERTURE, CUFFY, WALTER RODNEY, WEB DUBOIS, MARCUS GARVEY, PAUL ROBESON, STOKELY CARMICHAEL/KWAME TOURE and so MANY MORE who FOUGHT or STOOD UP to the ESTABLISHMENT aka “THE POWERS THAT BE” would have been PROUD of the STANCE taken by AMBASSADOR GONSALVES.
The STANCE by AMBASSADOR GONSALVES is what HEROIC FIGURES are made of.
I AM PROUD of his STANCE and I PROUD to be a VINCENTIAN.
JOE, GO and TAKE your MEDICATION because you do not know what you’re TALKING about.
That said; it is just a WASTE EXPLAINING anything to the KNUCKLEHEAD SUPPORTERS of the NDP, because it simply goes in ONE EAR and OUT the other.
Powa I do not think most of us are criticising because of our political belief or affiliation. Think about it the area was barricaded to guard against any threat maybe Camillo felt because he is an ambassador he was not subject to security checks. The cops were only doing their job it would make sense if he simply Identified himself and showed proof of his credentials This matter should never escalate the way it did. We expected more from the ambassador..
Real, practically everyone who criticized the CAMILLO on this BLOG is AFFILIATED with the NDP, so do not tell me it is not POLITICAL BELIEF or AFFILIATION.
I am not going to REPEAT myself over and over again, because it seems to be FRUITLESS doing so.
The FACT of the MATTER is, AMBASSADOR GONSALVES has practically all support from the PERMANENT MISSIONS at the UNITED NATIONS.
The AMBASSADOR of the UNITED STATES to the UNITED NATIONS, SUSAN RICE, came to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Mission to basically apologize to Ambassador Gonsalves.
The VAST MAJORITY of Vincentians at HOME and ABROAD are in SUPPORT of AMBASSADOR GONSALVES.
CARICOM is in support of AMBASSADOR GONSALVES.
The only ones who seem to not be in SUPPORT of AMBASSADOR GONSALVES are EUSTACE, the NDP and their SUPPORTERS, which is REAL SAD when you THINK about it.
Trying to be rational to the likes of Vincypowa is a waste of time. i, like many others, try my best not to respond to his daily rants. But try as it may is of no avail. The man is hopeless, perhaps paid to be.
Vincypowa I find your Prime Minister ridiculous,it’s like Satan reading through the bible and filing suit every time a verse has something bad to say about him,,or suing any preacher/minister/priest that bad talks him on the pulpit,as if that would change the fact that he is Satan
Vincypowa like your ambassador and your pm,you seem well versed in the art of taking fart.Listening to you ulp people is like listening to a rumshop,rumshop radio,rumshop tv.On one hand it’s hilarious,but on the other the ulp power mad drunks have taken leave of their senses and will cut you,like criticizing a drunk for being drunk l.o.l
I don’t know when your pm went past his limit,when he had one drink too many,he used to be eloquent then he started talking nonsense in parliament,”p@keyhole”,”Nah talk but me woman”,”I work obeah for the lord”.Bartender Henderson isn’t helping because he knows if he stops your pm he will make less money,so the rumshop continues parliament after parliament,NDP should just bring dominoes,the worse thing is Vincypowa your Pm isn’t allowing any designated drivers,so it’s just a bus of drunk people,with the driver drunkest of all,driving crazy in the road,shouting “we naaah tun back”,running over pedestrians,vehicles, anything and anyone who gets in in the way, because they believe tey “own de road”. People who should have better sense Beache,The union Leaders etc have accepted drinks,and once any respectable person becomes drunk Vincypowa nobody respects them anymore.Vincypowa I’d respect your pm if he behaved as if he had some sense,you can’t behave and talk with vulgarity as pm,and you can’t behave as if you’re in opposition if you’re the government.Seriously though they may star radio moneys from govt ads,although nobody listens to star radio,and a real govt has NBC which it owns.It’s not that they grease other party members hands vincypowa,it’s that they’re so obvious about it,as if the word shame no longer exists.The ulp are just a bunch of Vulgar wutless shameless people as far as I’m concerned,yes they won the election,but they did it the way you’d expect them to do it,and they’re a now rural government they belong in the bush vincypowa.Parliament is dead center in NDP territory,back where it belongs,if NDP protests they’re in the majority in Kngstown,and the ulp people had to pay their own way to go to their 11th anniversary celebration,so the ulp can’t rent protesters like previous years.
The ulp supporters are singing for their supper harder than ever,trying to out call each other on the radio,or stick the most stickers on their vehicles because there’s hardly enough money to trickle down,after the non elected members have taken their share.Sing ULP people Sing,Sing Vincypowa Sing
Joe, you are the dumbest person with a computer
The only support the Gonsalves has got at the UN, is from representatives of those countries who pay us money to vote with them at the UN, all the scum countries. And all the scum Vincentians like VINCYPOWA, who is scum extraordinair and ‘cottaging’ specialist.
Maybe I missed something but why has everyone here turn the blame on Mr. Gonsalves while it is clear that the officers acted inappropriately to a foreign diplomat. In most cases like this the officer would have been placed on desk duty or fired.
Does everything in SVG and it’s overseas offices have to be so political. Forget about the politics for a minute and realize that a representative of our nation was attacked and not even given a chance to identify himself properly. The NYPD treated him as if he was a common criminal and in doing this assaulted the Nation of SVG and it’s people. Instead of bitching with each other you should be calling or emailing the NYPD and the State Department sharing your displeasure for this action and demand someone head and a written apology.
Indicating Ms Rice race does not make him a racist but was to merely identify with her his plight of black and brown people within America. Shame on all of you with your disgusting reactions and response ranging from racist to blaming Mr. Gonsalves soley for the incident and let us not forget pushing politics fully into the mix of this issue.
Where is the Unity that should be shown abroad leaving the ills to be discuss back on home soil. Whether or not we like it “Mr. Gonsalves is the face of our nation here in NY and deserve the respect of his office.