A protest by Essequibo rice farmers over late payments turned ugly last night. Police fired teargas into an irate crowd that hurled bottles and other missiles at the ranks and burnt tyres on the main road at Land of Plenty, Essequibo Coast.
The farmers have also blocked the roadway with tractors, trucks and other vehicles and have vowed to keep up their protest until their demands are met. During the melee, Alliance for Change (AFC) Regional Councillor, Naith Ram, was stripped.
A senior police official told Kaieteur News that at least 100 protesters had resisted arrest and that no one had been detained. However, at press time, eyewitnesses said that the protest had escalated and police had begun to arrest some of the protesters.
The police official also alleged that the protestors threw bottles, stones and other missiles at his ranks, though one rice farmer refuted this claim.
Up to late last night, a large fire was still burning on the roadway at Land of Plenty and the roadway remained impassable.