ACTING Commissioner, Leroy Brumell announced yesterday that additional ranks have been deployed to the mining town of Linden and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is optimistic that the situation will remain peaceful. He made the announcement in wake of the planned five-day shutdown threatened by residents who are protesting the increased electricity tariff.
Addressing a gathering at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown, during the GPF awards ceremony, Brumell said the Force is hoping the protest will also be incident free.
He noted that the GPF is there to maintain law and order and its members are capable of handling the development, as senior officers are also present to advise those under their command.
Linden workers downed tools yesterday, stopped all commercial activities and took to the streets, in a demonstration against the electricity hike. They called on the government to withdraw the addition to their bills which were previously subsidised.
Several Opposition activists have joined the demonstrators and it was reported that electricity and water supplies to the township were cut off since during the morning hours yesterday.