Puerto Rican protestors carried a “symbolic” guillotine to the American territory’s governor’s mansion on Thursday to protest leaders’ handling of disaster relief supplies.
As earthquakes continue to rock the island leaving thousands without power, Puerto Ricans are still suffering the effects from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Late last week, residents of the city of Ponce discovered “a warehouse filled with water, cots and other unused emergency supplies,” NBC News reported. The unused supplies had been there since 2017.
Although Governor Wanda Vázquez fired several officials with oversight, including the U.S. territory’s housing secretary and Office of Emergency Management director, it wasn’t enough to stop massive protests Thursday, including one in which several protesters carried a guillotine to the governor’s mansion.
Um, the people of Puerto Rico are carrying a guillotine to the Governor’s mansion right now. pic.twitter.com/uAeH1WoLcN
— Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) January 23, 2020
The guillotine has been been put up outside the Governor’s mansion in San Juan. pic.twitter.com/siTCpihlRO
— Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) January 23, 2020
So @Residente showed up and gave a speech behind the guillotine. pic.twitter.com/R90HDUrg4K
— Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) January 23, 2020
Potash, who posted several videos of the day’s activities, contended he was “99% sure” the guillotine was just “symbolic” and not usable. Another Twitter user posted a picture of the set-up guillotine along with the island’s black flag of resistance. (RELATED: Puerto Rico College Republicans Are Raising Money For A Trump Statue)
Guillotine with Puerto Rico’s black flag of resistance in front of the capitol building. ????: @SarahMolinari pic.twitter.com/Mw7UtQl1MM
— J.Meléndez-Badillo (@jorellmelendezb) January 23, 2020
A Puerto Rican guillotine of the resistance flag. Worth noting, Puerto Rico has one of the highest indices of income inequality in the world. Protester tells me that they want to move up elections now to remove the current government. “We gave them a chance, and they struck out.” pic.twitter.com/f4ca0OBoG2
— Arelis R. Hernández (@arelisrhdz) January 23, 2020
CBS reporter David Begnaud tweeted video of police using tear gas to remove protesters, who are reportedly demanding the resignation of the U.S. territory’s governor and also its Senate president, Thomas Rivera Schatz.
This was the moment, a short time ago, that police used tear gas to disperse protesters in front of the Puerto Rico Governor’s mansion. They are demanding the resignation of Governor @wandavazquezg and Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz. pic.twitter.com/X3DK2TRVEz
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) January 24, 2020
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Scott Morefield
Dailycaller.com
