The Agricola mayhem: A shameless display of criminality

Just when citizens were beginning to settle after a series of police killings and protests, the opposition-backed Agricola turmoil on the night of October 12, further set the country back, while driving fear into thousands, some of whom were left stranded when residents of the East Bank Demerara village and elsewhere set fiery blockades on the road, and beat and robbed hapless commuters.

It was a shameless display of criminality that had come hours after the Alliance For Change (AFC) Chairman, Nigel Hughes, issued an ultimatum to President Donald Ramotar to fire Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee or face massive demonstrations.
True to his promise, a group of misguided youths seized the opportunity to stage a protest on the Agricola Public Road, blocking both sides of the road with debris, stranding thousands including schoolchildren.
Thousands travelling along the highway were stuck for hours. They also set ablaze a bus, and robbed several persons who had sought alternative routes through the village.
Bricks, bottles, and other articles were thrown at the police ranks who initially responded to the incident. The unruly crowd, some of whom were armed with pieces of wood and cutlasses, blocked the Guyana Fire Service vehicles from getting to the burning tyres and other materials, despite pleas from the Joint Services personnel.
Prior to the chaos, the combined opposition had been clamouring for the sacking of Rohee since the July 18 fatal shooting of three protesters in Linden. Their calls took on greater traction with the subsequent killings of Shaquille Grant and Dameon Belgrave.
It goes without saying that anytime such massive chaos occurs, it must be strongly condemned and thus, the Agricola debacle was roundly condemned by several groups, including the very opposition which had orchestrated it.
Meanwhile, despite all of this, the police showed admirable restraint on the night of the mayhem in the face of provocation. In a statement one day after the incident, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/ C) said it “condemns in the strongest possible manner the disruptive and violent acts meted out to ordinary Guyanese by the AFC and APNU organised protest… in the vicinity of Agricola on the East Bank of Demerara”.
According to the party, thousands of Guyanese from all walks of life had their freedom to travel impinged “by the ruthless action of the opposition, who now seem bent on a campaign of creating instability and to undermine economic and social progress in our country”.
The party reaffirmed that it has always and will always continue to support and encourage peaceful demonstrations by citizens, who feel the need to utilise this medium to bring public attention to their issues.
“However, the PPP will not condone the trend of lawless demonstrations as has characterised certain activities associated with the AFC and APNU, and their extremist allies. The justification given by the AFC and APNU for last evening’s (Thursday, October 11) violence and mayhem which was carefully orchestrated against our citizens who were making their way home during the peak traffic period is outrageous.”
The APNU also expressed its dismay over reports that commuters were prevented from travelling to their destinations on the East Bank and West Bank Demerara for several hours because some sections of the roadway were blocked by demonstrators.
The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), representing thousands of Guyanese registered workers and trade union members, said it was moved to condemn the personal physical assaults, robberies and other acts of outright thuggery committed by persons, claiming to be protesters and residents of Agricola.