| WPA wants Buxton Road blocked; Top Cop dares leaders to be on the frontline | | Print | |
| Written by Denis Scott Chabrol |
| Friday, 17 August 2012 16:11 |
  David Hinds Even as the Working Peoples Alliance (WPA) is calling on Buxtonians to block the East Coast Demerara Public Road on Saturday in solidarity with Lindeners, Police Commissioner Leroy Brummel is daring leaders to be on the frontline. WPA Executive Member, David Hinds Thursday night reiterated previous calls for villagers to occupy the road from Saturday morning around 7 O’clock. He also suggested that the thoroughfare be dug up as has been done in the past. “One thing the Lindeners learn from us is how to barricade roads, how to dig up roads. I don’t have to teach you all in Buxton how to do that,” he told a public meeting on Buxton Railway Embankment. “These roads belong to us and if this road belongs to us we decide who pass and who don’t pass,” he added. WPA activists have been calling on residents to block the East Coast Demerara and East Bank Demerara main roads to join Linden in observing the one-month shooting death of three protesters and injuring of 20 others during clashes with police on July 18. Other activists have been urging city and coastland residents to pay GUY$1,000 return for bus transportation to Linden where there is expected to be a huge demonstration and rally. However, the WPA has dismissed such a plan, saying the time has come for the tension to be felt in other parts of the country and so persons should stay on the coast and engage in protest action. “Buxton people stop train. On Saturday, stop car,” he said, adding that the time has come for “drastic” action. Among his party’s grievances that he said should be addressed “by any means necessary” including peaceful and non-peaceful means” are bad governance, corruption, extra judicial killings and racial discrimination. But Police Commissioner, Leroy Brummel, appealing for “good sense” to prevail, said activists like Hinds are timid and refuse to take risks like protesters. “It’s aching that some of these persons are scared. They are just going forward, riling up the people and they who are riling it up are not there. If you are a leader, stand up with the people. They are just going, riling up and they gone,” Brummel told reporters. “These fellows are just hiding themselves and covering their skin and sending them to blows,” he added. Though numerous members of the police force deployed to Linden to quell the one- month old unrest there, the Police Commissioner assured that the police and the Guyana Defence Force still have enough manpower to deal with unrest in Buxton. “We are in a Joint Services mode,” he said. Hinds also advised attendees at the public meeting to be on the look out for members of the police intelligence special branch unit and “deal with them.” The long-time political activist said his party’s activism is aimed at the removal of the Donald Ramotar administration by year-end. While the WPA is a part of the opposition coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Hinds said confidence among grassroots people is lacking. The Linden protesters were killed and others shot and injured during a protest on the Mackenzie-Wismar bridge against a hike in electricity rates due to the reduction in a government subsidy by GUY$1 billion. Government has since agreed to suspend the rate hike that should have taken effect from July 1, pending the outcome of an extensive review of the electricity sector in Linden. The review would be done by a seven-member committee that has been agreed to between the Central Government and Regional 10 Administration. |
