An early Friday morning fire destroyed the Linden Salvation Council’s building at Silvertown, Linden.

Executive member of the LSC, Philip Bynoe said he was reliably informed that electrical wires were sparking shortly before the blaze.

 “I got hard reports that people saw the wires on the pole and behind the building sparking. I got that report from someone I can rely on,” he said.

He said the nearby Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints church was also destroyed by fire.

The fire occurred at the same time police were hurling teargas at protesters who had massed on the streets to oppose the removal of obstructions from roads and bridges that has prevented the traffic around and through the town to interior mining and residential communities.

Fire Chief Marlon Gentle told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com) that fire tenders were prevented from arriving at the scene because of obstacles on the road. A tender was punctured by broken bottles.

Bynoe, a former member of the Peoples National Congress (PNC), publicly endorsed the ruling Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) for the 2011 general and regional elections.

The LSC, a non-governmental organisation, had housed a soup kitchen and a women’s sewing enterprise. “All the Linden Salvation Council ever did was to help people, nothing else, never involved in any politics,” he told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com).

The politician and forest producer suggested that the talks between the Region 10 administration and government should have been allowed to continue on Friday instead of removing the protesters before.

“If these things are to be believed- the fact that it was going to be resolved- then clearly they should have allowed it to be resolved,” he said.

A resident shows the empty teargas canisters.

The security forces early Friday morning broke down tents and cleared roads and bridges of obstructions in Linden, threatening to derail talks between the Region 10 administration and government.

The water cannon, which was deployed to Linden, could not be used because two critical components are out of order, according to police sources.

The tents were used as kitchens to cook food for protesters who have been engaged in an almost four-week old unrest against an increase in electricity tariffs.

Residents also reported that police fired teargas to disperse large numbers of persons who turned out to resist the police. Occupants of several homes in the Silvertown area fled their homes due to the burning scent of teargas.

Fire was set to a wooden section of the Wismar- Mackenzie Bridge but it was later extinguished. The bridge is still useable.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Region 10 Chairman, Sharma Solomon said the “offensive” was launched at a time when efforts were being made to wean Lindeners off the protest action because the talks were making progress.

Solomon said he would consult with other team members before deciding on the future of the talks that were set to continue later Friday at the Office of the President. Outstanding matters include permission for private television stations, an economic development plan for Region 10, the future of Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee and the charging of suspects in the killing of three protesters during the July 18 clash with police.

“This thing could have probably end today. I am trying to figure out now why would such an aggressive offensive be launched, knowing that these are progressing in a manner that can bring some resolution to what is happening.

“We have already started to work with peoples expectations to bring it down that after all these days and weeks some movement is being made and things will happen,” he told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com).

Removal of the obstructions from the thoroughfares came amidst increasing concerns by the business community and Amerindian village leaders about the impact of the protest action.

Official sources have confirmed that government was determined to clear the bridges and roads in the town following Wednesday’s agreement to review the electricity tariffs within 60 days.

The terms of reference for a six-member bipartisan technical committee were agreed to between representatives of Region 10 and government.

A senior Joint Services official has said that the blockage of the roads and bridges could not continue indefinitely because they are common and public goods. 

The pre-dawn raid operation came several hours after the Guyana Defence Force air-dropped by helicopter more than 1,000 leaflets urging residents to support the Joint Services in ensuring a secure environment.

The Private Sector Commission, government and Amerindian village chiefs have all expressed concern that the protest is choking off critical fuel and food supplies to Regions 7,8 and 9.

File photo: Soldiers on patrol in Linden.

One day after government and the Region 10 administration agreed to review the electricity sector in Linden, the Joint Services appeared poised to clear all roads and bridges of blockages.

Asked whether the helicopter drop of an estimated 1,000 leaflets appealing to Lindeners to assist in securing their town was a precursor to removing the obstructions, a senior military officer would only say that “it could be a precursor to anything.”

Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com) was told by civilian government sources that the Donald Ramotar administration now believes that Lindeners’ major grouse of increased electricity tariffs is being addressed and so efforts should be made to return normalcy to the town.

The military officer assured that any Joint Services operation to clear the thoroughfares would be done so in accordance with international rules of engagement.

“Any deployment of the Joint Services will done to the strictest of international standards and best practices and the rules of engagement to be used on any such operation will be in accordance with international standards,” added the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officer.

If deployed, the Joint Services plan to clear, seize and maintain control of the roads and bridges like those at Karia Karia and Amelia’s Ward.

So far police and soldiers have failed to effectively clear the roads and bridges because protesters quickly replace the obstacles in open defiance of the troops.

The terms of reference for a six-member technical committee provides for a comprehensive review of electricity generation, distribution and transmission in Linden.

Region 10 Chairman, Sharma Solomon has said that he and his delegation are due to hold another round of negotiations with government on Friday. Among the eight outstanding issues are permission for the opening of private television stations, an economic development plan for Region 10, the status of Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee and the charging of those responsible for the July 18 killing of three persons.

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) supports television liberalization in Linden and the formulation of an economic development programme.

The trio was on the Wismar-Mackenzie bridge when police opened teargas and fired guns at the crowd to disperse them. Government has agreed to hold a commission of inquiry into that incident.

The National Assembly has approved a no-confidence motion in Rohee and wants the President to fire him over his handling over the July 18 shooting. Government, however, prefers to await the outcome of the inquiry.

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Thursday afternoon began dropping information leaflets by helicopter, appealing to Lindeners to help secure their community and shun criminals.

The airdrops began around 3:30 PM. Business owners and commuters, who normally use Linden to get to Regions 7,8 and 9, have complained of being waylaid by persons who either rob or extort them of money to guarantee safe passage.

A senior army official explained that the leaflets are “part of our information operation to sensitise Lindeners.”

The leaflets read “Safety and Security Join With Us and Secure your Community. A message from the Joint Services.”

"It's an appeal to Lindeners for them to reject opportunists and extremists who are taking advantage of the present situation in Linden," the army official told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com).

It is now three weeks since Lindeners have used huge logs, bricks, broken bottles, burning tyres and other objects to block access to key bridges and roads.

At first they had been protesting the increase in electricity tariffs from July 1 following government’s decision to cut the subsidy by GUY$1 billion.

Government has since decided to suspend the increased tariffs and make way for a bipartisan technical committee to examine the entire electricity sector in the bauxite town. The terms of reference for that six-member committee were Wednesday agreed to between representatives of Region 10 administration and government.

Among the eight outstanding issues to be addressed in another round of talks planned for Friday are the granting of permission for private television stations, an economic development plan for the region, the  future of Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee and the charging of police in connection with the July 18 killing of three protesters on the Mackenzie-Wismar bridge.

Police are yet to complete their probe to ascertain whether their ranks were culpable.

A Commission of Inquiry is to be held into the July 18 incidents that also included the burning down of the Linmine office and the torching of privately-owned vehicles.

Even as Guyana’s security forces denied being engaged in an operation to clear roads and bridges of barriers, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) wants those involved to be arrested and for all obstructions to be removed from public thoroughfares.

Reiterating that the security forces are responsible for ensuring that the roads and bridges can be “traversed safely and without hindrance by all citizens of Guyana,” the Private Sector Commission (PSC). wants those blocking thoroughfares to be locked up and prosecuted.

“It is our view that persons who continue to hinder the work of the security forces in this regard should be arrested and brought before the courts,” the PSC said in a statement.

And while the PSC said it was “deeply concerned at the worsening” situation in Linden and the damage to private and public property, the umbrella business organisation appealed for Region 10 and central government negotiators to quickly find a solution.

“The Private Sector Commission asks that the negotiation process be respected and urges all parties to seek to resolve the outstanding issues without further delay,” the PSC added.

The two sides were scheduled to hold another round of talks late Friday afternoon.

Several businesses in Lethem have run out of stocks and have closed their doors, and several Amerindian and mining communities are desperate for supplies.

The PSC cautioned that the actions by protesters “accrue to the detriment of Lindeners and will negate efforts by the Private Sector Commission and others to attract investment to the Region.”

And Guyana’s security forces “categorically” denied fuelling tensions on Friday and said there was no operation in Linden to remove barriers during predawn Friday from the western end of the Wismar –Mackenzie bridge.

The Joint Services Coordinating Council explained that around 2:20 AM, protesters

protestors raised an alarm that the Joint Services were on their way to clear barriers and proceeded to set the bridge ablaze.

“That was not the case at all. As a result, protestors and supporters numbering thirty, including women, stormed past the Joint Services Standing Patrol on the western end of the bridge and lit the bridge afire at the center.

The Joint Services Standing Patrol summoned the Police and the Fire Service. The Police cleared the protestors using tear smoke and the Fire Service put out the fire. By the time the fire was out, more residents came out of their homes and the situation deteriorated. The Joint Services did not escalate the situation at Linden,” according to the Joint Services Council

By mid-morning, two buildings housing the Guyana Revenue Authority, Linden Care Foundation, Institute of Distance and Continuing Education and the Linden Electricity Company Incorporated were burnt down.

Arsonists also destroyed three booths at the Mackenzie end of the bridge belonging to the Guyana Revenue Authority, Guyana Energy Agency and the Linmine security.

Just hours after fresh violence erupted in Linden ahead of another round of talks on Friday between Region 10 representatives and government, the Peoples National Congress Reform (PNCR) appealed for restraint on both sides.

“The PNCR condemns all acts of violence and call on all parties to be restrained in their actions as we seek a negotiated solution to the crisis,” said the party.

Newly elected party leader, Retired Brigadier David Granger expressed concern 0ver the current developments in Linden.

Two buildings housing several government offices were burnt down by residents, after teargas was fired at a group of persons that the Joint Services said had set fire to the Wismar-Mackenzie Bridge around 2:30 AM. Soldiers, armed with live rounds, instead summoned police who dispersed the crowd with teargas and called in fire fighters to douse the flames. The two buildings housed offices of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Institute of Distance and Continuing Education, Linden Care Foundation and the Linden Electricity Company Incorporated

The PNCR said it “strongly condemns the destruction of property and terrorizing of peaceful protesters by members of the security forces.”

The party urged police and soldiers to exercise restraint in executing their duties, even as Regional and Central government representatives are due to hold another round of talks late Monday afternoon.

“With talks at a very delicate stage and a resolution to the crisis clearly in sight, aggressive actions by the security services will only aggravate an already dangerous situation,” the PNCR said.

Word of a resolution in sight comes against the background of already agreed terms of reference for reviewing Linden’s electricity sector by a six-member bipartisan committee.  The Region 10 administration and political opposition want an economic development package for the region, reform in the allocation of agricultural lands and permission for private television stations.

The PNCR reiterated the need for justice for the Lindeners and for the arrest of the person or persons responsible for the three killings on Wednesday 18th July 2012.

The Party said it renews its support and its commitment to the people of Linden in their legitimate struggle for human dignity and economic recovery.

The genesis of the unrest dates back to late March 30 when Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh announced that government would be cutting the state subsidy for electricity supply in Linden.

Four months on, intermittent protests grew in number and frequency and peaked on July 18 when police and protesters clashed on the Wismar – Mackenzie bridge.

President Donald Ramotar and Granger only met after the shooting deaths and injuries as well as the burning down of a government building and a number of privately-owned long-haul vehicles.

With several roads and bridges in Linden blocked, resulting in critical food, medical, fuel and mining supplies being choked off from Regions 7,8 and 9; government had repeatedly called for the bridge to be cleared.

The Region 10 representatives spoke to the media Friday morning

Region 10 officials have dubbed the security forces’ Friday morning action in Linden as highly provocative and say they believe it was a government move to derail the ongoing talks aimed at finding a solution to more than three weeks of protest in the mining community.

Joint Services ranks moved in on protesters in the wee hours of Friday, clearing roadblocks and camps the protesters had set up in addition to firing tear gas to disperse the crowds.

Region 10 negotiator Aubrey Norton told reporters that at the last meeting with the government they had sought assurances from Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon that the military would not be engaged in any action at Linden since they felt they were nearing a solution to the crisis there.

“In his normal circumlocutive approach he said that we don’t control the military, we don’t know what the military will do.  

All of the evidence was there that they were going in a direction of a military approach and so I don’t want people to believe that this was some accident and the people necessarily to blame the Joint Services, this is a calculated government action to torpedo a political resolution,” Norton declared.

Commander-in-Chief President Donald Ramotar had told reporters Monday that he had tasked the security forces with taking the initiative to get the roads cleared. The military on Thursday airdropped leaflets via helicopter on the community calling on residents to partner with them for a secure environment. Attorney Nigel Hughes who has been representing the legal interests of victims also took umbrage at the military’s move saying it created the perception that Linden was a danger zone.

Residents have been protesting an increase in electricity rates and the killing of three protesters on July 18.

In the wake of the security forces’ action Friday several fires were set in the mining town which have seen at least three buildings destroyed along with toll booths at the Wismar-Mackenzie Bridge.

According to Norton, they have always urged Lindeners to be peaceful as they work towards securing a negotiated solution with the government but he pointed out that they have only broken the peace in response to state action.

“When the three people died they didn’t have weapons and confronting the police, it was the police shooting unarmed people and so any rational person would not want to endanger their people. We have been consistent in saying to the people of Linden be calm be peaceful be focussed on the objectives.

My appeal will always be for the people of Linden to be peaceful but this must come with justice,” he said.

A meeting is scheduled for later Friday between the government and regional officials with Region 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon stating they were committed to continuing the engagements.

The NARI building ablaze.

Fire early Saturday morning destroyed a Ministry of Agriculture building in Linden, while security forces were counting their overnight successes in having Mackenzie crawl back to normalcy. 

Most major roads and bridges there have been cleared of obstructions but traffic to the interior remains impossible because Wismar remains blocked off. 

The Joint Services involved in a clearance operation in Mackenzie.

Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com) that no one was injured in the 2 AM blaze but vital soil test records were destroyed in the National Agricultural and Research Institute (NARI) building at Christianburg. Ramsammy said alternative arrangements would have to be made for famers’ visits. 

He did not believe that the Ministry of Agriculture was specifically targeted but is aimed at “anything is that government” because of the “loathsome” approach by opposition political leaders. 

“I think that it is a group that is determined to create problems. The leaders of AFC (Alliance For Change (AFC) and APNU (A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) have lost total control. They may have lit the flames but they don’t have any control,’ he said. 

Police and army officials confirmed that vehicles are again moving freely around Mackenzie and to and from Georgetown, Kwakwani and Tacama. “There has been no major challenge,” when asked whether Joint Services detachments were meeting resistance by protesters. 

Residents confirmed that Wismar remained the major hotspot as it is a key entry and exit point for vehicles to and from Regions 7,8 and 9. “Wismar is heavily fortified by residents,” a resident told DemWaves. While security forces have in recent times used heavy duty machinery to remove a burnt fuel tanker and a trailer chassis, residents using bare manpower have replaced them. 

Authorities, hopeful that talks between Region 10 representatives and Central government could resume during the weekend, believe that a political solution is required to end the stand off in Wismar. 

Negotiations that were scheduled for Friday afternoon were cancelled after protesters, incensed  by police firing of teargas to disperse arsonists who had targeted the Wismar-Mackenzie bridge, burnt down several public properties. 

They included three booths at the Mackenzie end of the bridge and buildings housing the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE), Linden Care Foundation and Linden Electricity Company Incorporated (LECI). 

Police have arrested six persons in connection with Friday’s unrest. 

The Region 10 representatives and government representatives have already agreed to the terms of reference for a technical committee to review the feasibility of increasing tariffs in Linden- the major grouse by Lindeners. 

The two sides still have to discuss proposals for economic development of the community where, according to opposition parties, is suffering from a poor investment climate and high unemployment.