Police, soldiers storm PNG parliament over unpaid APEC wages
Image: Twitter
Disgruntled police and prison guards have stormed Papua New Guinea’s Parliament over a pay dispute stemming from the A-PEC summit.
Images show broken windows, smashed furniture, framed pictures torn from corridor walls and plants tipped over.
Protesters claim they have not been paid allowances for their security work in Port Moresby.
Following the rampage, about 100 police and guards waited outside parliament demanding to be addressed by the government.
Bankrupt PNG Govt: soldiers and police not paid allowances for 2017 election, Pacific Games and now APEC. Demanding to see PM O’Neill. Wong and Baki still in hiding. pic.twitter.com/6GQyu12ifF
— Mark Davis (@PoroMark) November 20, 2018
PNG member of parliament Allan Bird was there at the time of the protest.
He tells Ross Greenwood everything was smashed.
“Flower pots smashed, furniture smashed. Every single glass window they could find got smashed.
“Unfortunately, some of the parliamentary staff were also assaulted in the process.”
Mr Bird says, “there’s a general dissatisfaction with the government across the country.”
Click PLAY below to hear the full interview