And the police minister agreed that, based on what the video showed, the civilians did attack the police. According to the police report, one officer was kicked in his face, and another was punched in the chest. He is now warning the public not to assault officers when they are just doing their job, because it will lead to a worse outcome:
Hon. Kareem Musa - Minister of Home Affairs
"The media has a very huge role to play in covering events and how you put this spin to it. I want to say this, if you look at the interview that you did, the first thing that the gentleman said is that we were having a birthday party, we were having an illegal gathering. So let us start thee, someone is admitting to you as a journalist that they are hosting an illegal gathering which doesn't carry a fine of $500, it carries a fine of $5,000. You are detained for that; you are not ticketed. They don't want to break up a party, I'm sure that police officers enjoy birthday parties too but because the cases are rising. Officers will be doing their job and enforcing regulations. And so, all I ask the members of the public, if it is you're doing something illegal as this gentleman rightly said and confess to then why are you going to resist arrest, why not just go with the police officers take your charge. They still got charged you know, I don't know what they expect is going to happen with throwing you hand and pushing and fighting police officers, you will be charged, and you'll probably be charged with assault as well, so we just ask for the cooperation of the public, if you're doing something illegal, just don't resist arrest. And not single occasion that you pull out your phone and cover an event and start screaming does that mean the police is actually abusing you, that doesn't make it that the police is doing wrong. As you can see in that video, members of the public were actually fighting with the public. Somebody actually told me in that situation any other part of the world, the police would have done a lot more and I'm saying in my opinion I believe they exercised exemptional restraint in that situation and I just ask members of the public to cooperate."
