4 months ago
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PNM supporters arrive at the Diego Martin Central Secondary, where the party held a meeting on April 16. - Photo by Angelo MarcelleAn irate man heckled PNM candidates as they spoke at the party’s rally in Diego Martin Central Secondary School on April 16, becoming the centre of attention and drawing the ire of party supporters.
The man, noticeably not wearing PNM colours, heckled Diego Martin mayor Akilah Glasgow and Diego Martin West candidate Hans Des Vignes as they addressed supporters, including former Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
He shouted, "Nonsense," and questioning who had benefitted from PNM policies while the speakers were on stage.
Supporters though, were unwilling to tolerate his behaviour and every time he stood to heckle a speaker, when he turned around to sit, his chair was mysteriously gone.
After this happened three times, the man sat and heckled the speakers.
The situation almost became heated, though, when a supporter came over and began lambasting the man for his behaviour.
As tempers flared and the man stood up to oppose the woman, his chair once again disappeared into the crowd of supporters.
The woman then changed tactics and began blowing a red vuvuzela at him every time he tried to speak.
Seemingly realising he could not win the argument as people around him turned the tables and began to heckle him, he walked off, but not before supporters got the police’s attention.
Police escorted the man some distance away to allow tempers to cool.
The man eventually returned to the front of the crowd and sat on the ground with a policeman standing metres away keeping a keen eye on him.
His heckles, though, did nothing to quell supporters fervour.
The most energetic support was reserved for Des Vignes as, in a seeming nod to his history as a deejay, he brought the party atmosphere with him.
He entered his alma mater’s compound and shouted, “Welcome to my home!” as a music truck blared his campaign song.
De Vignes was surrounded by hundreds of supporters who instantly doubled the size of the event, as the school’s courtyard turned into a sea of red with the majority sporting jerseys with the phrase “Diego Martin West is in good Hans.”
His address was also the most well-received with his youthful delivery. Before Des Vignes took the stage, there was a live performance of his campaign song.
Addressing questions about why he decided to join politics after a notable media career, Des Vignes said he had a lot to thank the PNM for.
“This decision is a conscious one. In that classroom over there, I wrote my CSEC exams for free because of the PNM.
“Just last week one of our neighbours in the Caribbean implemented that for their citizens, something that’s has been going on for decades in TT because of the PNM.”
In a nod to Glasgow, Des Vignes said she is an example of what the PNM has done for the people of TT.
“It is because of PNM policy that a young woman from Scorpion, Carenage, who used to walk on a dirt road, that is now paved, can work hard, educate herself and become mayor of the borough of Diego Martin.”
Rowley, the feature speaker, praised supporters for attending the rally.
He noted the PNM were hosting four simultaneous rallies throughout the country and thanked supporters for making it possible.
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