MEMBER of the Candlelight Movement Phillip Edward Alexander completes a walk from Arima to the Red House in Port-of-Spain on Friday in memory of murder victim Andrea Bharatt.
Starting just after 12.15pm at Hollis Avenue he arrived at Abercromby Street at 7pm. He reached a spot opposite the Red House where he lit a candle on February 4 when Bharatt’s body was found down a precipice at the Heights of Aripo. A number of candlelight vigils were subsequently held across Trinidad and Tobago and this spawned into the Candlelight Movement.
Alexander lit another candle on Friday as other members of the Candlelight Movement who were there.
The movement was trying to reach 100,000 signatures in a petition calling for measures be put in place for the security of women. Alexander said it has already crossed this figure.
The petition calls for:
- Decriminalisation of non-lethal weapons for women including but not limited to tazers and pepper spray;
- Fast tracking system to obtain a Firearm Users Licence (FUL) for women;
- Registration and regulation of PH taxis to create a system that safeguards the travelling public;
- Implementation of a system of control for the issuing of official motor vehicle license plates; and
- A Commission of Enquiry into the Criminal Justice System.
During the walk Alexander was joined by other members of the Candlelight Movement Sateesh Ramsaran, Felicia Holder and Jodi Mohammed.
The Candlelight Movement was expected to stage a walk on Friday from Bharatt’s home to the Red House and present the petition to the members of Parliament asking them to effect change.
But because of an upsurge in Covid-19 cases, Police Commissioner Gary Griffith has suspended permission for all vigils and public gatherings and the Candlelight Movement has postponed its march for one month.
On Friday, Alexander said he wanted to stick to his promise to walk to the Red House.
AZPNews.com caught up with Alexander during his walk and below is a brief interview with him:
