Trinidadian journalist fired for 'racist' comments on Facebook

– A Trinidadian journalist has been fired for comments he posted on his Facebook page.

Darryl Heeralal was dismissed today after posting racist remarks on his Facebook page regarding protest action by residents of a poor neighbourhood, following a vehicular accident yesterday that left four people dead, including a mother and her two daughters.

Police have identified those killed as 27-year-old Hady Paul, her daughters eight-year-old Akasha and seven-year-old Shakira.

One unidentified person later died in hospital.

WIN Communications, which runs a television station said that it was “shocked, taken aback and in many ways repulsed by comments” made by the journalist, it described as a freelancer.

“WIN Communications wants to condemn in the strongest possible way such statements. They in no way reflect the views of this company, its management or any of its employees,” the company said in a statement.

According to the Facebook postings attributed to the journalist who said “I make no apologies” there were also calls for citizens to shoot the protestors in the head “and plant cabbage on them”.

Win Communications said that the media are charged with a “very sacred responsibility, one that puts the onus on us to represent the views of all the people.

“WIN Communications believes deeply in those fundamental principles, and we have worked assiduously to safeguard that,” it added.

The station said it had held discussions with Heeralal, who “who will no longer be affiliated with Win Communications in any capacity”.

Meanwhile, police said that they had been able to clear sections of the Beetham Highway on Monday after the residents staged a second day of protest, following the incident in which a vehicle driven by an off duty police officer crashed into the pedestrians.

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