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Canadian YouTube vlogger Chris “Chris Must List” Hughes during an interview at Newsday’s Pembroke Street, Port of Spain office on June 4. – Photo by Ayanna Kinsale
CANADIAN YouTuber Christopher “Chris Must List” Hughes says he intends to take legal action against a local newspaper which wrongly reported police took him to Laventille to “identify gangs.”
Hughes, 45, was charged with sedition last week because of the content of one of his many videos about gang culture and violence in Trinidad and Tobago.
He was granted $100,000 bail and released on Monday night, and is set to return to court on Thursday.
He was detained at the Besson Street Police Station.
On June 1, a local newspaper (not Newsday) published a story saying Hughes had been taken on a “gangland tour” while still legally being in police custody.
The story said he went for a “drive” to Laventille and East Port of Spain with police while they tried “to convince him to identify areas he visited where gang activities take place.”
The newspaper then published an update saying the police had said that never happened. The update said two officers had said the tour would be happening.
Hughes posted to Instagram on Wednesday saying, “I never brought Trinidad police ‘on tour’ through gang areas. I was locked up 24 hours a day and never left once.”
He added, “I will be filing a civil (lawsuit) against the newspaper that published that bulls–t.”
Hughes also confirmed to Newsday, “Regarding a civil lawsuit against the (newspaper whose) headlines (said) I’m an informant for the police, yes that’s official, that is happening 100 per cent.”
He added he got access to a camera, will be vlogging in Port of Spain on June 5 and the video will be uploaded on June 6.
He has access to social media again, after buying a new phone on June 5.
He told Newsday, “I’m going to film today, just walking around the city and just catching people’s reactions when I’m near them.”
On Tuesday night, he posted on Instagram to ask if any of his supporters had an Apple laptop (Mac) or vlogging equipment to lend him for a week, as the police had confiscated his equipment.
“You can’t hold a good man down. I’m ready to keep working.
“No, I won’t be going into those type of dangerous neighbourhoods to film, but I will be showing some very positive sides of this beautiful country.
“Tough time for me, (but) it makes it a lot easier knowing there’s so much love, not only here in the city but around the world. Trinidad, I still love you.”
During the investigation, he made all his TT videos private on YouTube, but his regular travel vlogs and other non-gang-related material have since been made public again.
He is also now raising money via GoFundMe.
