The Government’s strategy is to announce an extension of the state of emergency (SoE), Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles has said.

Speaking on Thursday evening at a People’s Nation­al Movement (PNM) meeting at the Bon Air West Community Centre, Arouca, with the theme “In Defence of the People”, she said the legal notice informing the public of no-protest zones, effectively preventing public demonstrations within 500 metres of 15 key State institutions, inclu­ding the Red House and Police Administration Buil­ding, was an attempt to “frighten citizens”.

Beckles said Prime Min­is­ter Kamla Persad-Bissessar knew about the no-protest zones before they were signed by the police and made public on Wednesday.