SOCIAL, political and human rights activists were among the hundreds who bid farewell to Courtney Crum-Ewing yesterday, eight days after he was gunned down as he was urging persons in the Diamond, East Bank Demerara community to vote at the upcoming May 11th elections.Crum-Ewing’s body was first taken to his home village in Diamond, then to Parade Ground in the city, before being moved to the Heavenly Light Full Gospel Church in Albouystown for a funeral service. Finally the body was taken to Le Repentir Cemetery for burial.

At the Parade Ground, opposite the Promenade Gardens, there were speeches, poems and readings by several persons, including Trade Unionist Norris Witter, President of the Guyana Bar Association, Ronald Burch- Smith, political activists and others.
Notably present at the Parade Ground were also political leaders, past and present students from Crum-Ewing’s alma mater, Queen’s College, past and present members of the Guyana Defence Force and other persons who took time off during their lunch break to be there.
Meanwhile, the proceedings were carried on under the watchful eyes of members of the Guyana Police Force, both in and out of uniform.
Several announcements were made at the location, including plans to erect a monument there in honour of Crum-Ewing, the renaming of the stretch in front of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, (where Crum-Ewing had conducted his protest)to Courtney’s Block.
And there were several calls for peace to prevail among those who are in support of Crum-Ewing’s activism and they were also urged to ensure that they turn out in their numbers to cast their votes on May 11, the cause for which Crum-Ewing died.
Many stood with tears in their eyes as others carried various placards as they remembered the man who came to fame for his one-man protest actions in front of the office of a government minister.

Later, over at the church, the crowd that awaited the arrival of the body of Crum-Ewing mirrored the gathering that turned up at the Parade Ground.
There the ceremony was attended by Opposition Leader David Granger, Prime Ministerial Candidate of the APNU-AFC Coalition, Moses Nagamootoo, Major General (ret’d) Joe Singh and several others, including children. The church was packed to capacity even as the compound and streets overflowed with mourners.
Crum-Ewing, 40 years, was shot around 8:00 pm on March 10 as he was using a bullhorn to encourage persons to come out and vote on May 11. The police reported that persons rolled up in a car, exited the vehicle and shot Crum-Ewing
An autopsy revealed that he was shot a total of five times, including three times to the head.

Immediately afterwards, there were claims that the killing was political and subsequently the police issued a press statement which followed that of the Ministry of Home Affairs, both calling for persons with information to come forward even as the ministry voiced its expectation for the police to get on top of the case and bring the killers to justice.

Two days afterwards, Head of Sate Donald Ramotar while addressing the officers of the Guyana Police Force called on the police to find those responsible for the killing and even the intellectual authors must also be brought to justice.

(By Leroy Smith)