A viral social media video calling for rival gangs to put down their differences and unite in violent action against law enforcement has sparked a firm condemnation and response from Trinidad and Tobago’s top political and police leadership, following a high-profile police-involved shooting earlier this year.
The video, which circulated publicly on Friday, features two men, one of whom issued fierce criticism of the criminal charges filed against Kaia Sealy. Sealy, the common-law wife of Joshua Samaroo who was fatally shot by police during an encounter on January 20, currently faces eight criminal charges connected to the incident. She is currently based in the United States undergoing scheduled medical treatment, and is not in custody in Trinidad and Tobago as the case proceeds.
In the recorded message, the speaker called for an end to ongoing gang conflict between two major local factions, Rasta City and Muslim City, framing the existing divisions as the product of a state-sponsored “divide and rule” system. He went further to urge members of four prominent gangs, numbered 6 through 9, to mobilize and prepare for a so-called “revolution” targeting state institutions.
Within 24 hours of the video’s spread, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar issued a blistering rebuke of the call for violence. In an official public statement released Saturday, she labeled the appeal as the product of depraved thinking, saying “only sick and evil people would support calls for violent gangs to attack law enforcement officials and law-abiding citizens.”
Persad-Bissessar also tied the incitement to a recent public demonstration outside the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) last week, noting that protesters had attempted to intimidate prosecutorial staff carrying out their official duties during that action. She credited the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) with intervening quickly to secure the building and protect staff, adding that the peaceful rule of law would not be undermined by violent intimidation.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Administration) Junior Benjamin has clarified that, as of the latest police briefings, law enforcement has not received any credible intelligence confirming that gangs have already finalized plans to make peace and carry out coordinated attacks on police officers. Speaking to reporters from the Trinidad Express Wednesday, Benjamin made clear that the TTPS is prepared for any contingency: if gangs follow through on the call for attacks, all involved will be prosecuted and face the full consequences of their actions under local law.
Benjamin emphasized that the TTPS operates to balance two core constitutional rights that are central to Trinidad and Tobago’s democratic system. “One is the whole idea of expression. A person’s freedom of expression in a protest and that of public safety and national security,” he explained. The Police Service, he said, is committed to upholding both rights equally, and will act decisively against any person or group that violates legal boundaries by threatening public safety or undermining the rights of others.
The police service, Benjamin added, maintains active, ongoing intelligence gathering operations focused on gang activity across the country. Any intelligence related to potential planned violence is immediately shared with specialized operational units, which are prepared to intervene to de-escalate and neutralize any threat before it can harm civilians or law enforcement. “We are therefore saying we are here to ensure law and order at all times and we will ensure the safety of our citizens, no matter what,” he said, reaffirming the force’s commitment to public safety amid heightened tensions.