WHO was the no synapses firing, smooth-brained, human embodiment of a boiled potato that made the call to have Canadian vlogger Chris Must List, real name Christopher Arthur Hughes, arrested?
Probably the same empty-skulled person who thought it would be a good idea to title a Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) release: “YouTuber on TTPS Naughty List Charged Under Sedition Act.” Did they think that was cute? That someone would give them a gold star for wit?
Hughes’ YouTube channel Chris Must List features him visiting various countries, including South Sudan, Jamacia, Haiti and India. Rather than going the traditional all prettied up tourist route, Hughes focuses on the areas or groups of people these countries would rather not highlight in order to provide an authentic perspective of what life is like for the hidden or taboo people of the country.
When he visited T&T, obviously with knowledge of our crime issues and gang activity, he interviewed gang members and ventured into their often dangerous territory. And in doing so showed how inept our nation’s crime-fighting mechanisms truly are.
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This obviously hurt someone’s feelings and Hughes got to a true Trini experience- the ridiculousness of our flawed justice system. A justice system that has allowed these same gangs to thrive.
On Tuesday Hughes was arrested, by Thursday he had been charged under the Sedition Act. Sedition is the act of spreading material that encourages or incites rebellion against the authority. Under the Act, Hughes was charged with publishing seditious material via his new gang buddies.
So let me try to understand, he is being charged with sedition because he spoke to various gang members who said what can be perceived as seditious and then posted it on YouTube.
What a joke we look like right now. A simple Google search of Chris Must List will bring up various international articles and videos from fellow travel vloggers being completely bewildered, concerned and enraged by Hughes’ imprisonment.
Apparently, we are like Dubai now. If you are unaware, Dubai has strict laws against influencers or vloggers creating content that portrays their country in a negative light, and it looks like we have those now too.
Side note: does anyone remember a few weeks or months back a gang had sent out a message declaring war on the police? Yeah, an actual act of sedition. As of today, it’s still “under investigation” and chances will be forever. But a Canadian vlogger speaks to some gang members and he is a danger to the nation… steups.
Here’s my theory (which, thanks to leaked voice messages has been proven correct), the police tried to get Hughes to help assist them, either in collecting intel or handing over concrete information regarding the gang members he interviewed. Hughes, having journalistic integrity and not under any obligation to reveal his sources, refused and as such some higher-ups decided he must be punished.
Hughes embarrassed our national security entities on an international level and instead of using his videos (and the videos the gang members themselves post) our Police Service decided to teach him a lesson.
Speaking to Newsday, Hughes said he was simply showing reality and anyone who took issue with them, didn’t like the idea of a foreigner doing so. How right he was.
The truth is Hughes pointed out the scale onto which national security has failed in curbing gang culture and gang-related crime in T&T.
Our governments, past and present, have failed to take the action needed to dismantle gangs. Instead, gangs have been encouraged. Their leaders are referred to as “community leaders”, government contracts given, reports of gang extortion and intimidation fall into the category of “forever being investigated”, and numerous other examples can cause one to assume gangs are encouraged rather than punished. Encouraged because they bring in votes. Votes needed for power.
While I am not one on conspiracy theories, I will tell you this, I think Hughes was given way more information than he shared on his vlog. I think his arrest is an effort to keep him quiet. A plan that has backfired tremendously, because now not only are we portrayed on the web as a gangster’s paradise, but also a banana republic that will pitch you in jail for no clear reason.
It’s a sad and embarrassing day for T&T. Instead of pouring all this time and effort into killing the messenger, perhaps our police and governments should have used all that energy to crack down on gangs, rather than use them for political points.
Support independent journalism.AZP News is an independent news organisation that is not affiliated with any big business and depends solely on advertising to pay our bills. Therefore, we are asking for the generosity of our readers to help us with small donations of any amount, but we will be happy with $20, $50 or $100. Click
Who Decided to Arrest Chris Must List?
WHO was the no synapses firing, smooth-brained, human embodiment of a boiled potato that made the call to have Canadian vlogger Chris Must List, real name Christopher Arthur Hughes, arrested?
Probably the same empty-skulled person who thought it would be a good idea to title a Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) release: “YouTuber on TTPS Naughty List Charged Under Sedition Act.” Did they think that was cute? That someone would give them a gold star for wit?
Hughes’ YouTube channel Chris Must List features him visiting various countries, including South Sudan, Jamacia, Haiti and India. Rather than going the traditional all prettied up tourist route, Hughes focuses on the areas or groups of people these countries would rather not highlight in order to provide an authentic perspective of what life is like for the hidden or taboo people of the country.
When he visited T&T, obviously with knowledge of our crime issues and gang activity, he interviewed gang members and ventured into their often dangerous territory. And in doing so showed how inept our nation’s crime-fighting mechanisms truly are.
Paid political advertisement
This obviously hurt someone’s feelings and Hughes got to a true Trini experience- the ridiculousness of our flawed justice system. A justice system that has allowed these same gangs to thrive.
On Tuesday Hughes was arrested, by Thursday he had been charged under the Sedition Act. Sedition is the act of spreading material that encourages or incites rebellion against the authority. Under the Act, Hughes was charged with publishing seditious material via his new gang buddies.
So let me try to understand, he is being charged with sedition because he spoke to various gang members who said what can be perceived as seditious and then posted it on YouTube.
What a joke we look like right now. A simple Google search of Chris Must List will bring up various international articles and videos from fellow travel vloggers being completely bewildered, concerned and enraged by Hughes’ imprisonment.
Apparently, we are like Dubai now. If you are unaware, Dubai has strict laws against influencers or vloggers creating content that portrays their country in a negative light, and it looks like we have those now too.
Side note: does anyone remember a few weeks or months back a gang had sent out a message declaring war on the police? Yeah, an actual act of sedition. As of today, it’s still “under investigation” and chances will be forever. But a Canadian vlogger speaks to some gang members and he is a danger to the nation… steups.
Here’s my theory (which, thanks to leaked voice messages has been proven correct), the police tried to get Hughes to help assist them, either in collecting intel or handing over concrete information regarding the gang members he interviewed. Hughes, having journalistic integrity and not under any obligation to reveal his sources, refused and as such some higher-ups decided he must be punished.
Hughes embarrassed our national security entities on an international level and instead of using his videos (and the videos the gang members themselves post) our Police Service decided to teach him a lesson.
Speaking to Newsday, Hughes said he was simply showing reality and anyone who took issue with them, didn’t like the idea of a foreigner doing so. How right he was.
The truth is Hughes pointed out the scale onto which national security has failed in curbing gang culture and gang-related crime in T&T.
Our governments, past and present, have failed to take the action needed to dismantle gangs. Instead, gangs have been encouraged. Their leaders are referred to as “community leaders”, government contracts given, reports of gang extortion and intimidation fall into the category of “forever being investigated”, and numerous other examples can cause one to assume gangs are encouraged rather than punished. Encouraged because they bring in votes. Votes needed for power.
While I am not one on conspiracy theories, I will tell you this, I think Hughes was given way more information than he shared on his vlog. I think his arrest is an effort to keep him quiet. A plan that has backfired tremendously, because now not only are we portrayed on the web as a gangster’s paradise, but also a banana republic that will pitch you in jail for no clear reason.
It’s a sad and embarrassing day for T&T. Instead of pouring all this time and effort into killing the messenger, perhaps our police and governments should have used all that energy to crack down on gangs, rather than use them for political points.
Support independent journalism. AZP News is an independent news organisation that is not affiliated with any big business and depends solely on advertising to pay our bills. Therefore, we are asking for the generosity of our readers to help us with small donations of any amount, but we will be happy with $20, $50 or $100. Click