by Maria Murriel -- Public Radio International
Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago is celebrated with colorful, feathered, sequined costumes. Last week the capital city's mayor said it was these costumes, an international symbol of the festival, that were to blame for a Japanese tourist's murder — along with "vulgarity and lewdness" displayed by women during Carnival.
Mayor Raymond Tim Kee of Port of Spain was forced to resign earlier this week after Trinidadians were outraged by his comments that "women have a responsibility to ensure they are not abused during the Carnival season. It's a matter of, if [Asami Nagakiya] was still in her costume ... let your imagination roll."
A Change.org petition with more than 10,000 signatures called for his resignation, saying Tim Kee "is in the habit of blaming and shaming victims of abuse."
"There are mixed emotions about his resignation," says Ryan Jagessar, owner of CarnivalCentral.com. "Most people are in agreement with it, as he reflected negatively on our country. There are a few other people who didn't disagree with his statements but they just found the timing was wrong."
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