Quick response by police officers averted what could have been an ugly situation on the Corentyne as residents attempted to block the road and burn tyres in protest over the detention of an armed robbery suspect.
Concerned family members and friends of the man, Rommel Thomas called “Govo”, took to the streets of Rose Hall Town to protest that he be released from police custody.
Thomas was arrested by the police in connection with a robbery committed on the Jackpot Lounge of Portuguese Quarters, Corentyne.
Reports are that on Monday evening, the business place was robbed, with the gunmen carting off with $5M. According to reports, an employee had gone to clear one of the slot machines and removed in excess of $1M in cash. As she was leaving, two men armed with handguns confronted her and pulled the bag out of her hand which had in excess of $5M in cash.
Regional Commander Shivpersaud Bacchus said several persons were arrested in relation to the incident.
He said on Thursday, he was informed that residents had gathered tyres and other flammable materials and had assembled to protest over the detention of the suspect.
Barbra Harry says it was her son who was arrested on Monday and was still in custody more than 72-hours after without being charged. She is alleging that her son was with some friends at an entertainment center opposite the business place which was allegedly robbed.
The mother contended that the protest was organised because during an identification parade, a police officer allegedly instructed one of the staff from the business place which was robbed to pick out her son as the one who robbed the Jackpot Gaming Lounge.
Meanwhile, according to the Police Commander, the suspect has since been released.
Moreover, he said during his engagement with the organisers of the protest, several issues were raised and addressed. The Police Commander said his ranks successfully negotiated with the residents and got them to come off the streets.
It was only on February 1 that an operation conducted by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) wherein a man was arrested with a large quantity of marijuana resulted in several hours of protest action by residents of Buxton, East Coast of Demerara (ECD).
Persons took to the main road to protest the arrest of the suspect – who is well known in the community. They gathered on the roadway and burnt debris, while a truck driver was pulled from his truck and his vehicle was set alight. Another driver of a Canter that was transporting wood was also attacked, and had his windshield damaged as debris was thrown at him.
Less than a week later, on February 5, another protest erupted at Hopetown, West Coast Berbice (WCB) following an accident which left two persons from the area injured. The driver of the vehicle was badly beaten by residents and his vehicle was set on fire. The main access road was also blocked.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall has already warned that persons who engage in this type of behaviour will face the full consequences of the law.
In fact, several persons who were involved in the June 2022 unrest at Mon Repos, ECD have already been charged.
Nine persons surrendered after the Guyana Police Force had issued wanted bulletins for 12 males in relation to the incident, which was sparked by protest action against the fatal shooting of an ECD man, Quindon Bacchus, during a Police sting operation in June last year.
AG Nandlall had reminded that during the unrest, protesters not only blocked the public road and burned debris but also set alight vehicles, robbed commuters as well as persons at the Mon Repos Market, and looted and destroyed stalls and businesses in the market and its surroundings – all of which, he said, were done with impunity.
