The bandstand at Woodford Square opposite the Port of Spain City Hall, where a crowd gathered in protest over Mayor Tim Kee's statements regarding the Carnival Tuesday death of a visiting steel pan player from Japan, Asami Nagakiya. All photos used in this post are courtesy of Janine-Mendes-Franco. On Friday, February 12, 2015, citizens of Trinidad and Tobago gathered in Woodford Square, in front of the Port of Spain City Hall, to present a petition to Mayor Raymond Tim Kee. Kee's statements regarding the death of Japanese steel pan player Asami Nagakiya have raised the ire of many and fuelled a discussion about an all-too-common Caribbean narrative which blames women for acts of violence perpetrated against them. Nagakiya's body was found beneath a tree in the Queen's Park Savannah — the hub of most Carnival events — on Ash Wednesday. A male protestor holds a placard at the demonstration. Dubbed “Don't be Vulgar, Mr. Tim Kee”, the event was focused on holding men accountable for their actions instead of victim-blaming women. In a country that is plagued by violent crime and in which women often fear for their safety, there were many vociferous calls for the mayor to step down over the inappropriateness of his comments. The group statement presented to the mayor — or rather, to his secretary, as Tim Kee was “not in office” — was addressed to the government of Trinidad and Tobago, from “concerned citizens and residents”. It began by offering heartfelt condolences to Nagakiya's loved ones, then called for the revocation of Kee's appointment: Clothing does not cause violence. Dark streets do not cause violence. Walking alone at night does not cause violence. We are disturbed that Mr. Tim Kee did not wait for conclusive evidence of the causes of the young woman's death to make a statement, nor did he offer any sincere condolences to her family. This is not acceptable practice for someone who holds such a position. […] We do not accept his apology, which further confused the issue by stating that there are some women who agree with him. […] He contributes to a culture of sexism and gender-based violence rather than taking any responsibility of the state and government to ensure the safety of all people. The following day, Kee announced that he had decided to tender his resignation over the public outcry surrounding his statements. Many Trinidadians feel collective responsibility for the victim's death. A few of these “women who agree with him” were present at the protest, seeking to disturb the discussion about victim support training and the proper education of children — especially boys — that was taking place on the bandstand. One of them insisted that had it been a local, black woman who had been killed, there would have been no protest. Some social media users echoed this sentiment; in a public Facebook post, Anna Hernandez appeared to have missed the point of the protest when she said: I just want 2 say something is really wrong with our ppl in this country when there r so much rapes,innocent killings, robberies, child molestation , corrupt ppl in high places , inflation, human trafficking an the list goes on ….. No one comes out an protest these things , whyyyyyyyyyy . I think a lot of ppl don't think b4 they act . Come on citizens we need 2 stand up 4 our own ppl more ‪#‎selfsearch‬#countryfirst# Juliet Davy (in red skirt) talks to the media in support of Mayor Tim Kee. Juliet Davy, a compliance officer with the Port of Spain Corporation, under which City Hall falls, was vocal in her support for the mayor and complicit in the victim-blaming, saying that she had a daughter and would “never let her go out dressed in a particular way”. Nagakiya, like most female masqueraders on Carnival Tuesday, was wearing a bikini embellished with beads and feathers. One of the critical aims of the protest was to hammer home the point that the victim — by her attire, or otherwise — was in no way responsible for her own murder. This demonstrator showed up in her Carnival costume to drive home the point that women never “ask for it”. Historian Angelo Bissessarsingh put it this way: WHAT PRECAUTIONS COULD THIS POOR CHILD HAVE TAKEN AGAINST HER POSSIBLE AGGRESSOR SHORT OF BEING ARMED WITH A POWERFUL NON-LETHAL WEAPON? Her only guilt in this matter is not that she was negligent or unmindful of her safety but that she loved this damn savage island and its people so much to have travelled halfway around the world to participate in our culture and music, only to die like a roadkill puppy and then suffer the indignity of the unbridled buffoonery of public figures. Although there were probably a couple hundred people at the protest, the online petition calling for Tim Kee's removal has garnered more than 10,000 signatures.