Passengers attacked, businesses looted on the West Coast Berbice

Mar 08, 2020 News

During a massive protest action staged by supporters of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic in Regions Five and Six on Friday, many persons and businesses were targeted by persons donning political pieces of cloth tied to their faces and armed with cutlasses and improvised weapons.
Kaieteur News has since confirmed that at least three businesses were looted at Rosignol Village, West Berbice during the period of protests that went on into the evening.

Pics showing the perpetrators in the Homeline Furnishing store.

One of the proprietors who asked not to be named, stated that when her store was broken into, she was watching the incident live from her surveillance system but could not do anything but contact the police and wait for them to respond.
Surveillance footage seen by this publication showed men with yellow and green pieces of cloth tied around their mouths entering the Homeline Furnishing Rosignol Branch by smashing through the glass.
They trampled and jumped on gas stove tops and ransacked the entire store before grabbing a quantity of cellular phones, flat screen televisions, cell phone accessories and music boxes.
According to one of the owners, “They vandalized the entire store and broke up a lot of stuff. The entire cell phone department they stole and broke up. They walked on top all the stoves and break dem up. I was on the live feed watching the break in and could not do anything. We had to wait on the police”.

Thirds image is of the DIGICEL store

The traumatized owner said that it was “horrible” to watch all their hard work being snatched within minutes by the perpetrators.
This publication understands that the police arrived shortly after the incident took place since the “road was heavily blocked, and fires were being lit no one could have got into the area”.
Millions of dollars have been reported in losses. In addition, reports have indicated that shortly after the perpetrators looted the Homeline Furnishing Store they pounced on another (Lenny’s) located in the said village.
The extent of the damage is unclear because an inventory has not yet been conducted.
Yesterday morning a DIGICEL store was also broken into, vandalized and robbed just around 10:00 am. An eyewitness posted on his Facebook page his call for help while the robbery was in progress.
“I need help with law enforcement urgently. We called but no sign of the police. Moments ago, in Rosignol West Coast Berbice some men just jump our front gate and broke into DIGICEL right in front our house,” the post read from an eyewitness.
Efforts to contact the Commander to ascertain if the police are investigating the incidents were unsuccessful.
Attack on passing vehicles
Meanwhile, in addition to the reports of looting, several persons made reports publicly and posted videos of incidents in No.5 Village, West Coast Berbice. A family who was traveling back to Berbice with other passengers in the car was reportedly attacked by angry persons who were also brandishing pieces of yellow and green flags and armed with guns, scissors and cutlasses.
One of the victims, Melissa Singh, who was attacked, said that her husband was driving and she was in the back seat of their car with her son and daughter who are below the ages of 10.
With them were two other passengers when their vehicle was stopped by dozens of men and women with weapons in their hands and others stuck in their waist.
According to the victim, “They were pulling on the door handle to open the door and showing us their guns on their waist and scissors so that we can open the car door. After we didn’t open the door, a lady that had a cutlass in her hand lash in the back window of we car and the glass and shattered pieces pitch in my mouth and the passenger’s hair, eye and clothes.
“My hands have some scratches too. My children got some scratches on their arms too from the pieces of glass. After she smash the window and they see the children they tell we carry on”, the still traumatised woman recounted.
Singh added that if it were not for her children being in the car “they would have robbed us and chop we. The kids save everyone”. The woman explained that the attackers were careful to conceal their identities by tying their faces with white vests.
There were no police in sight at that location, the mother of two said.
In addition, Kaieteur News understands that many other persons reported that there were similar incidents that took place in No. 5 Village with no police presence to handle the situation. There were, however, heavy police presence at protest locations in West Coast Berbice.
Meanwhile, the students who were injured after the bus was attacked by raging protestors were discharged from the public hospital Friday after seeking medical attention.