A PROTEST, which was supposedly meant to be peaceful, descended into chaos on Tuesday with one of the ugliest manifestations of looting and burning on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) in recent history. The protest turned violent resulting in significant damage to property at Mon Repos village, ECD.

A vehicle was set on fire and several stalls were looted, destroyed and burnt. The financial losses amounted to millions of dollars.
But the losses went beyond the financial. Many persons were traumatised by the ordeal, with quite a few suffering from physical injuries. Counselling sessions for the traumatised persons are being organised by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security following a visit by subject Minister, Dr. Vindhya Persaud.

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, who visited the area shortly after the ordeal, assured vendors that they will be compensated for their losses and that those responsible for the atrocities will be brought to justice. 16 persons have been charged in court with “riotous behaviour”. One pleaded guilty and was fined. The others were granted bail and will return to court later this year.

Already, the issuance of compensation has commenced. The President also interacted with a number of protestors, including relatives of the late Quindon Bacchus, who was fatally shot allegedly by a police officer. The matter is currently before the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) which is expected to make its findings public soon.

Some persons, however, were misguided by a media report which assumed that the police man at the centre of the allegation was released from his holding space at the police’s Eve Leary headquarters. This was false.
The violence that erupted along the East Coast corridor is at best unfortunate but, on a more serious level, is indicative of how irresponsible and malicious reporting of news could result in unintended consequences.

According to reports, the protest action started after residents of Golden Grove village blocked one of the main thoroughfares of the East Coast corridor which eventually led to a confrontation with police.
President Ali, who visited the Mon Repos village where persons were injured and lost property, made it pellucid that those responsible, including the intellectual authors, will be held accountable for their actions.

“First of all, what was done here is completely wrong. There is absolutely no excuse for it. The Commissioner of Police is here and we have made it very clear that first of all, those who are responsible for this must be brought to justice…. They must face the consequences of the law,” President Ali had told East Coast of Demerara residents moments after some amount of calm returned to the area last Tuesday.

As observed by the President, everyone has a right to be heard, but no one has the right to loot and destroy; this is totally against the law.
The fact is that justice for one cannot be achieved through injustice to others, as was the case of the vendors whose properties were pillaged and who suffered physical injuries by the hands of persons who were presumably seeking justice. It is regrettable that a legitimate issue becomes clouded by the illegitimate actions of others. President Ali, while on the ground following the commotion, urged protesters to go home and allow the system to work.

“As you are aware, this matter that occurred some time ago in which the police are accused of using excessive force which resulted in the death of Mr. Bacchus…
“[B]ased on the laws, in order to ensure an impartial investigation, the necessary sections of the constitution that provide for the Police Complaints Authority to supervise the investigation, in conjunction with the Office of Professional Responsibility, must kick in…

“I’m advised that the process has commenced and that process has made tremendous progress,” President Ali had said as he moved to calm the clamour of protesters still eager for his intervention in the matter. President Ali, however, maintained that the executive must respect the doctrine of the separation of powers and should not intervene in matters of investigative bodies.

The Head of State’s “One Guyana” vision cannot be held hostage by those with ulterior and narrow partisan interests, some of whom are openly seeking to whip up racial hostility among the Guyanese people.

This must not be allowed to take root in our society and must be nipped, as it were, in the bud. No individual, regardless of rank, status, ethnicity or political persuasion, should be allowed to spew the poison of racial incitement in our society.

The political opposition, particularly the PNC/R, cannot escape blame for this most recent violent protest action on the East Coast of Demerara. The security forces, in particular our Commander-in-Chief, must be commended for cautiously and respectfully deescalating the situation.