Starlite CEO Gerald Aboud was arrested on Friday afternoon during protests against gender-based violence outside the Parliament.

Speaking to the media following his subsequent release, Aboud said his brief discomfort pales in comparison to the suffering women and girls in this country have faced over the years.

“Who cares what happens to me? I was restrained- I didn’t feel comfortable. Can you imagine what it would be like to be restrained as a woman, and know that you’re going to be dead in an hour? How do you think she felt?” he asked. 

Aboud was detained for failing to wear a mask in a public space.

Friday’s protest was held in honor of kidnap and murder victim Andrea Bharatt and all other women who have lost their lives to crime and violence in this country. 

Mr. Aboud said he believes the media also plays a critical role in shaping conversations surrounding gender based violence. 

“You media need to fix the problem as well, I don’t want to say you’re a part but you need to stop sensationalizing all the non-important matters,” he said.

Andrea Bharatt’s funeral service took place at the Faith Assembly Church at Five Rivers, Arouca on Friday. 

Starlite was among hundreds of other businesses which shutdown operations on the day, as a show of solidarity.