….don’t panic folks! It’s just a police crowd control drill. Nothing to worry your overworked heart over.
The training is all part of the job our law enforcers have to go through.
With all the political disruptions of the past few months, mostly around the Mulinu’u area, the training would have come in pretty handy if the emotions went out of control.
Thank goodness people kept their heads and did not push the police to apply their crowd control skills.
No good would come out of it for anyone on both sides.
If there were any cause for complaints about the police handling of the recent unrest at Mulinu’u, it was the heavy-handed instructions to manhandle the innocent people who were respected political leaders of the country.
Unfortunately orders are orders and these men and women in uniform are sworn to carry them out without question.
As in the case at Mulinu’u the line of command started from a higher, non-police source and streamed down the ranks for the officers of the law to enact.
While the call of duty is to be admired it takes an ugly twist when it is manipulated in a way the noble deed is corrupted by abuse.
Politics of power does that. We’ve all seen it at Mulinu’u.
Sad day for our Samoa.