St. Vincent PM injured at protest, bleeding from injury – media

Reuters

Aug 5 (Reuters) – The Prime Minister of the Caribbean country St. Vincent and the Grenadines was struck by an object on Thursday during protests and later received medical treatment for injuries, according to local media reports and images circulating online.

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves had been walking through a group of protesters when the incident occurred, reports said.

“I suspect it is not life-threatening, it is something that needs to be addressed by health officials,” said Sehon Marshall, a spokesman for Gonsalves, in an interview with Jamaica-based outlet Nationwide News.

A video circulating on social media showed Gonsalves engulfed by people amid much noise. An unidentified voice in the video said: “The Prime Minister is bleeding! … Somebody just hit the Prime Minister in his head with a stone!”

Another image posted on social media showed Gonsalves in a white shirt stained red with blood, apparently in hospital.

Reuters could not independently verify the accounts, and was unable to immediately reach his government for comment.

Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Sandra Maler