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FM
Former Member

Mayhem will not be tolerated under the pretext of protest…Police

The Guyana Police Force say they respect the rights of all citizens to protest peacefully on issues of concern to them and the Force has no objection to persons conducting peaceful protests.

However when protests degenerate into a series of unlawful acts infringing on the rights of other citizens and putting the protection of life and the safeguarding of property at risk, the Police Force will as a consequence have to take the appropriate action in response.

In a statement issued today, the police have noted that so far a high level of restraint was demonstrated in dealing with protestors at Agricola on the East Bank of Demerara.

On Thursday October 11, a large number of persons who claimed to be protesting following the death of Shaquille Grant who was fatally shot during a police operation on September 11, blocked both carriageways of the East Bank of Demerara roadway with the use of burning tyres, other debris and obstacles, bringing traffic to a standstill and leaving thousands of commuters, including the elderly and school children, stranded for several hours.

In addition, criminal elements seized the opportunity presented and proceeded to rob and beat persons who had sought alternative routes through the village.

In its statement today the police said the unruly protestors, some of whom were armed with cutlasses and pieces of wood, continually threw incendiary devices, bricks, bottles and other missiles at them as they remained on duty, maintaining law and order.

This resulted in many of their ranks being hit and one rank, Corporal Kwesi Lawrence of the Tactical Services Unit, sustained burns to both thighs and an injury to his left eye.

On that occasion the police were forced to resort to the use of rubber bullets and tear smoke to eventually bring the situation under control and allow traffic to flow.

Again, during the afternoon of yesterday Monday October 15, persons attempted to block the East Bank of Demerara thoroughfare with fiery obstacles; but this was prevented by alert police ranks who quickly removed them from the roadway.

Police ranks were again besieged with bricks, bottles and other objects being thrown at them and also endured taunts, verbal abuses and derogatory remarks.

Some of the missiles being thrown by the protestors damaged motor vehicles on the way through the community.

The Guyana Police Force notes that they are the primary Law Enforcement agency responsible for public safety, the maintenance of Law and Order and the protection of life and property and remains resolute in carrying out its mandate.

In this regard the police say while they have been shown considerable restraint, they cannot and will not allow persons who appear to be using the pretext of protesting to cause mayhem and confusion in the society

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Every  citizen  has  a right to peaceful  protest, march or  demonstration and the  operative word  here is  'PEACEFUL'. I  believe the objective of  such  demonstration  or  activities  are  primarily to draw  the  public's  attention and to galvanize  sympathy and  support for  the wrongs /  injustices  of  the  aggrieved.  However,  when   protesters /  aggrieved  deviate  from those  peaceful activities, the police  has  a duty and  obligation to respond in a timely and appropriate manner to  bring and  keep the  recalcitrants  back and preserve law &  law. From  the  video  footage I have  seen in  both  the  Linden  and  Agricola events,  it  is  abundantly  clear  that there  were  nothing  peaceful and  orderly about  these  events. On  the other hand,  appropriate  and  timely response  by  law  enforcement  was  woefully lacking  and/ or  inadequate. Both  the  Linden  and  Agricola  incidents have  commonalities with  the  WTO and Stanley Cup  riots  where adequate,  timely   and  appropriate response by  law  enforcement  could  have diffused  the  situation  an  avoid the  ensuing  chaos. 

 

Admittedly  when  the marginalized and victimized of  society reached that point  of  hopelessness and  despair, law & order  is  of little or  no consequences.   Individual  and  personal accountability can and  do  rapidly morphed  into mob  rule and  pandemonium. However, such  wrath  and  anger  should  be directed at the  oppressor & those responsible  for  the  injustice and   not the common man/ woman and ordinary  citizens.               

FM
I know Agricola. There are criminals living there. These criminals will indulge in criminal activities at the slightest opportunity. I don't believe in appeasing criminals. These are not freedom fighters. During LFSB reign, criminals hid in Agricola. The bongo squad made constant raids to flush them out. They even recruited residents of the village into the police force to combat the criminals living there. Since then, Agricola has gotten from bad to worse.
FM
Originally Posted by TI:
I know Agricola. There are criminals living there. These criminals will indulge in criminal activities at the slightest opportunity. I don't believe in appeasing criminals. These are not freedom fighters. During LFSB reign, criminals hid in Agricola. The bongo squad made constant raids to flush them out. They even recruited residents of the village into the police force to combat the criminals living there. Since then, Agricola has gotten from bad to worse.

Criminals are everywhere and we have a whole slew of them in the administration. To label the poor and the marginalized criminals because they gravitate to behavior that always malign those  on the margins of society is unconscionable since that is their only milieu given neglect. What is there to restrain them from opportunistically grabbing at loot ? I am sure it is of less gravity than that which restrains the PPP to plunder our resources. If Agricola has gotten worse who is to be blamed for that? In my opinion pillage in office has gotten worse but yet the PPP resists accountability.

FM
Last edited by Former Member

which guyanese you talking about, what the government should be doing is going out there and talk to the people instead of casting blame,the police is not the answer for every thing the president should try acting like the president of the country for all guyanese if the indians in berbice was doing this he will reach already so what happen

FM

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