PHILIPSBURG--The Indian Merchants Association (IMA) on Wednesday evening called on Front and Back Street merchants to close their establishments today, Thursday, in solidarity for bike patrol Officer Gamali “Benji” Benjamin, who is clinging to life.
Benjamin was shot and seriously wounded while responding to a robbery at Oro Diamante on Front Street around 1:00pm Wednesday and was in critical condition at St. Maarten Medical Centre (SMMC) up to late last night.
IMA President Peter Mirpuri told The Daily Herald late last night that the IMA board had met and the call had been made to urge businesses to close today in solidarity for Benjamin and to protest the escalating crime situation in the country, in Philipsburg in particular. The IMA was trying to contact the various businesses late last night, encouraging them to close today.
Mirpuri said the IMA was deeply saddened by Wednesday’s incident and said it was sad to see crime escalating to this extreme.
“We are all saddened by this. We are saddened to see an officer hurt in the line of duty,” Mirpuri said. “We all know Officer Benjamin and he is a great officer. We are calling on businesses to close [today – Ed.] in solidarity for Officer Benjamin, because he is struggling for his life. Our prayers are with him, his family and his colleagues.”
Mirpuri said the IMA hoped authorities would “do what is necessary” to protect the island and to curb the rising crime.
“This is our livelihood,” he said, adding that there had been three ships in port on Wednesday and many tourists had been shocked and scared at what they had experienced.
