I REALLY disagree with how people are evaluating the conduct of the protestors. The cry is that their behaviour did not necessitate the use of rubber pellets.
So what then? Should the police have awaited mayhem, and then stepped in? Or maybe, they should have gone to the various human rights associations across Guyana and sought permission, and then they should have re-assembled and discussed the logistics of the situation.
The AFC’s Raphael Trotman sought to remonstrate with the police for their actions. So I ask if he is not aware that in any part of the world, whenever things get to be the way they have been shaping up in Guyana, if preventative measures are not taken.
Also, I personally prefer to protect first, then interrogate later. The police must keep peace – there are properties to be protected from damage, and lives to be preserved – at all cost too. I am sometimes most bemused by this selective caring and altruistic attitude of many public figures. They call themselves leaders and seek to portray an image of goodness. However, they are far from this verisimilitude of goodness.
People need to be reminded that Raphael Trotman was a central figure in the PNC during the time of ‘Mo fire, Slow fire’. It was at this time when similar protests led to the destruction of a significant portion of the city’s commercial centre.
Many suffered brutally at the hands of these PNC protesters. So for Trotman to now speak in such a manner about actions by law enforcement officials which were clearly aimed at preventing the recurrence of any such actions is tantamount to the usual hypocrisy and double speak that we have grown accustomed to from him.
It was only a few weeks ago that the AFC was pleading with members of the joint services for their votes and i’m sure that it came as a surprise to many when none other than the AFC’s prime ministerial candidate (allegedly) posited that police officers who do not operate to his liking should be sent to Monkey Mountain.
Now I rest my case.