Thousands held hostage in APNU/AFC organised protest
– Guyanese citizens beaten and robbed
Thousands of Guyanese were on Thursday night left stranded – and many beaten and robbed at Agricola, Greater Georgetown during protest actions backed by the two main opposition parties, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC).
Stranded commuters walking along the East Bank Demerara Highway
Stranded commuters walking along the East Bank Demerara Highway
The protesters, some reportedly from Georgetown, set fiery blockades on the public road, resulting in thousands of persons, including schoolchildren, travelling along the highway being stuck for hours. They also set ablaze a bus, and robbed several persons who had sought alternative routes through the village.
Up to midnight, police were struggling to clear the road: ranks tried desperately to ensure the smooth flow of traffic as some of the protesters played a game of cat and mouse with the lawmen, while hurling missiles at them.
In a statement, police said about 16:00h, a large number of persons gathered on the roadway and threw tyres and other obstacles across both carriageways of the East Bank Demerara road at Agricola before setting them on fire, causing the flow of traffic to come to a standstill.
Police attacked
Bricks, bottles, and other articles were thrown at the police ranks who initially responded to the incident and other ranks were mobilised, along with personnel from the Guyana Fire Service. The unruly crowd, some of whom were armed with pieces of wood and cutlasses, blocked the Guyana Fire Service vehicles from getting to the burning tyres and other materials despite pleas from the Joint Services personnel.
The police continued to plead with the crowd and also employed the use of the water cannon to disperse them, which was not effective, so the lawmen consequently resorted to the use of tear smoke. Later, police ranks and fire service personnel managed to extinguish the burning tyres and other debris. Up to press time, they were removing obstacles that had been thrown along both carriageways of the road. Traffic is flowing along the western carriageway, while efforts are continuing to clear the eastern carriageway.
Opposition backing
The combined opposition has been clamouring for the sacking of Rohee since the July 18 fatal shooting of three protesters in Linden. Their calls took on greater traction with the subsequent killings of Shaquille Grant and Dameon Belgrave. A ‘massive’ march has been planned for Georgetown today to continue calls for Rohee’s sacking.
When Guyana Times arrived on the scene Thursday evening, thousands of residents living on the East Bank Demerara and in the West Demerara were stranded. Many of them were stranded in their vehicles, while others using public transportation opted to walk from as far as Houston to the Demerara Harbour Bridge to find alternative transportation. Many did this at great risk of their lives, given the violent confrontation between the residents and the lawmen. Their action to walk, however, did provide opportunities for the odd thieves to rob them.
With the fiery blockades and aggressive protesters, police deployed the much-talked-about water cannon. When it arrived, it was leaking water. The machine sprayed two showers of water in an attempt to douse the fire, but it was too far away to be effective. However, the machine was moved closer to the fire, which was eventually doused, but not before the water cannon broke down. By this time, residents began hurling a steady stream of bottles at the police, and the lawmen reacted by firing tear gas at the protesters. The protesters had also started diverting traffic through “Shell Road”, taking a back track to get home; however, there were subsequent reports of robbery and citizens were warned not to go through there.
‘Backtrack’ robbery
One man told Guyana Times that he was in a vehicle going through Shell Road when some men went up to the car in front of him in a bid to hijack the vehicle.
“They coming up to you and ask you where you going and if you don’t answer, they pulling out gun on you,” the man said.
By 18:30h, in desperate efforts to get home, people came out of vehicles and began walking along the western side of the roadway. However, as bottles and bricks were being hurled and tear gas was being fired, not everyone was lucky to pass through the area unscathed. Then about 19:00h, a few vehicles were allowed to pass but only for a very short time, because the situation was deteriorating; nevertheless, people kept on walking trying to get through the area to go home. Some people had to leave their homes and go through the area to get their children, spouses, and other family members, who were stuck in the traffic on the other side of the village.
Hidden faces
While on the scene, Guyana Times also observed several young men with their faces hidden, loading logs, barrels and other materials on the western side of the road at Middle Street, Mc Doom. Another young man was seen from the Shell Gas Station with a jar in his hand. Then shortly after, a fire was started and the police approached the area, but as they advanced, the young men began hurling bottles at them.
The young men then escaped through an alley way, but then shortly after there were reports of them fighting gas station employees for gas. Immediately, the police swooped down on that area, blocking off the road from where bottles were being hurled. Near the Mc Doom/Agricola border, teargas was continuously fired into the air, and at least two babies were seriously affected.
Babies caught with tear gas
Pandemonium broke out among relatives of the two babies at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Shane Boyce, who is less than one month old of Amelia’s Ward, Linden and Delano Francis, a one-month-old of Brutus Street, Agricola, are said to be in good health, but doctors at the medical institution are not taking anything for granted. Further tests were being done on the infants.
Hilbert Boyce, the father of Shane Boyce, stated that his family was on their way to Linden about 15:30h and upon reaching Agricola, they were shocked to see the long line of traffic. He said some minutes later, the residents started to burn tyres and other materials.
In an attempt to disperse the unruly crowd, the police, he noted, started to use tear gas. He posited that he walked from Agricola with his family to a relative in Kitty when he realised that his baby was not moving. Without hesitation, he rushed his baby to hospital where he was examined by doctors.
When Guyana Times arrived at the hospital, Shane Boyce was with his mother as doctors continued to run tests. Moments later, Basilita Francis arrived in a taxi with her one-month old son, Delano, who according to a relative turned “blue” thus CPR was performed. He added that they walked some distance before they could have gotten a taxi to bring them to the hospital. He explained that the situation at Agricola is serious, noting that there are confrontations between police and residents. Up to press time, residents in the area and drivers using the roadway were still apprehensive and police were on the scene monitoring the situation.
