Subtitled: Toddlers and Tiaras
You know how toddlers misbehave to get attention? And if you ignore a particularly annoying behavior they’ll get bored and eventually quit doing it? I think the government here needs to go to parenting classes. Every stupid little thing here is a power struggle between the government/police and the people.
The people protest at the Pearl Roundabout — the island’s most famous landmark, so the government bulldozes the symbolic sculpture, rebuilds the road, but then sits on it 24 hours a day with tanks and guards, not allowing anyone to use it. It’s like putting the cookies right out of reach, but still in view.
The people throw tires in the street and light them on fire and the police come and close the road and try to chase them down and it becomes a game with no winner. Just teasing back and forth, back and forth. Never ending.
I run into tire burning every so often. It usually comes in waves and then dissipates for a while. It’s not a big deal, just an irritation and an interruption. I’m more annoyed with the government who should know better than to antagonize the people. They are doing this in their own neighborhoods — there’s no reason for the cops to set up camp and run around shooting rubber bullets or tear gas at people. The tires would burn out or people move them out of the way and drive around them. If they didn’t generate such an immediate and excited response from the police there would be no point to doing it.
The purpose of this video isn’t to freak anyone out — as you can tell from my voice (as I’m on my way to school to try and pick up poor Calvin who is sitting out in the heat) I find the entire event ridiculous. But you want to know what it’s like to live here? This is a taste of it.
PS: The dudes with the masks are the tire burners and they are always helpful in directing people away from the action. So when he crosses his arms, it’s him telling me to avoid going down that street. Yes, I know how insane this all sounds. I guess the craziest part is that this is normal and not anxiety provoking?
For reference, the school is about 200 yards past the tires and I’m bummed because if I could have gotten by before the police came I could have hopped the curb or driven around the tires in 2 seconds, but the cops just drove through on the sidewalks and shut it down so I have to detour.