Dear Editor,

I HAVE been living in Melanie Damishana on the East Coast of Demerara for many decades. For the time I have been here, we the residents have lead quiet lives. However, this changed suddenly a few months ago, when a prominent Coalition attorney began operating a liquor bar.
This bar is located in the Melanie Market area (Plaza Street). Since the opening of this business, the usually quiet area has been turned into an all-out party spot. This bar is operated in a manner that shows absolutely no consideration for any of the residents of this area. Oftentimes there will be huge crowds of people gathered; even in this time when COVID-19 is rampant you can observe droves of party goers assembled there with crowds even spilling over into the streets at times. Numerous cars can be seen stretched along both sides of the streets causing encumbrances to road users.

Editor, the music that is played at this bar is usually played at unbearable volumes and can be heard from long distances. There is no telling what happens to the numerous elderly residents who live in the same street where these disturbing sessions are held.
Editor, some of the music that emanate from this entity is often explicit, lewd and vulgar to say the least and we feel that it is abuse of power or privilege by this lawyer who has been taking advantage of residents daily. The activities at this bar have proven to be the source of much discomfort and sleepless nights for many. Imagine recently there was a big party held there and at 03:22 hours the following morning the music was still being played loudly. How can this be fair to people who have to get up to prepare to get out to work? What about the elderly residents who suffer from hypertension and other ailments?

One resident who is in their 70s when speaking about the noise said, “You can’t sleep in the night… you can’t sleep, you can only lie down but can’t sleep.” How can this be fair to these people? Another is their 80s said they sleep in the day because they are unable to sleep in the night, yet another resident said that they sleep with pillows piled on top of their head. I asked again, how can this be fair to these aged people who contributed to the community and now are unable to be at peace?
The police have been called on countless occasions but to no avail.

This bar hosted a J’ouvert session on the night of the 22nd of February, the police came and instructed them to shutdown however, within minutes of the police’s departure the said establishment flouted that order and played music indiscriminately until after 05:00 hours the following morning. It seems that this attorney and his operatives have zero regard for the law and it continues to be a major concern to us. It may soon be a free for all … meaning that people may feel that it’s okay to disturb the peace without consequences as the police seem to be either unwilling or unable to bring a halt to this lawlessness. We are at our wits end! We are demanding that the relevant authority act swiftly on behalf of the innocent people of Melanie Damishana who are subject to all the lawlessness that originates from the bar.

Yours sincerely,

A concerned resident