Protestors against ban on used tyres, VAT on education and closure of sugar estates restricted

Three independent groups of demonstrators, protesting differing causes, were Monday (May 08, 2017) prevented from ventilating their concerns in front of Parliament Buildings where a sitting of the National Assembly was ongoing.

Instead, police barricades forced those protesters to the western side of the building where they could not be seen or heard by Parliamentarians as they made their way into the House.

They appeared to have made it close enough so that their voices could be heard from inside the compound and grab the attention of several Opposition Parliamentarians who also equipped themselves with placards and joined the demonstration.

The small pockets of protesters were, on one hand, calling on the Government to reverse the ban on used tyres while another group wants the administration to revisit plans to close sugar estates across the country.

A third group, the Movement Against VAT on Education, wants the government to reconsider the Value Added Tax (VAT) placed on private education.

But the restriction caused the three groups to come together to object to a more immediate concern which was the constraint they faced when trying to bring their issues to the attention of members of the National Assembly.

The Movement Against VAT on Education, which had been protesting for several weeks, said the group received a call from the police earlier in the day, informing them that they would not be given permission to protest today (Monday, May 08, 2017).

The group was allegedly told that they could protest outside Parliament Building on any other day, but not during a sitting of the Assembly.

The groups were disappointed by the refusal of the police to allow them to protest in front of Parliament Building and believes it speaks to a refusal of the government to engage them.

Despite the setbacks, they pushed ahead with their cause which were only taken note of by Opposition MPs.