Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves was, Thursday night, nursing wounds suffered during protest in Kingstown earlier that evening.
A photograph circulated via social media showed the 74-year-old leader at what appears to be the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital with what appears to be blood on his white shirt.
Gonsalves was struck by an object allegedly thrown by protesters as he emerged from his official vehicle and was walking towards the Parliament building.
Hundreds of protesters had gathered in the streets of the city protesting proposed changes to the Public Health Act, which could force some workers out of their jobs if they choose not to vaccinate.
Minister of Finance Camillo Gonsalves, who is also his son, told legislators that his father was left “bleeding” as a result of the incident, and condemned the act against the prime minister.
The finance minister further decried opposition lawmakers for not condemning the violence against the prime minister.
Opposition Leader Godwin Friday was not in the assembly chamber at the time of the minister’s comments.
As a result of the injury to the prime minister,, there has been a stronger police presence near the Parliament building, to which a large contingent of officers from
various units had been dispatched earlier on Thursday as a result of the protest.
Around 7:30 p.m., some protesters celebrated the prime minister’s injury, beating drums and chanting, “The World Boss head buss!”
In the campaign for the November 2020 general elections, the prime minister declared himself “World Boss”, having led the country to a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Hundreds of supporters of the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) as well as two public sector unions turned up to protests the legislation that the government said would allow for the vaccination of public sector workers, considered to be front line workers.
The government is proposing to remove the word “voluntary” from a section of the law that speaks to vaccination against an illness that has triggered the declaration of a public health emergency — as is the case with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Same law is being enacted in other countries, developed countries you don’t see this kind of behaviour, some Vincentians are a special kind of stupid, do your job PM protect them who wants to be protected leave the others to their own demise.
The cocky look has certainly been replaced with a look of a very frightened man. I suppose he thought he was indeed the chosen one as he always tried to infer. Well whoever did that should be ashamed, and his body guards should also be ashamed of their failure to protect him.
Wrong can never replace another wrong, what a shame this happened.
But I am sure it will make good reading in his new book “The Knocker Up Gets Knocked Down.”
Poor old man ,
Only in China are people forced to accept the vaccine. Some Russians and Americans are refusing to be vaccinated. So not all countries are trying to force their inhabitants to take the vaccine.
Part of the problem can be traced to disinformation from the vaccine manufacturers and governments and their health agencies. My biggest concerns cover businesses and children, these are two areas that no one has the right answers and approach to tackle. I believe schools would soon become mortuaries.
I am very concerned because my daughter is a teacher.