MAYHEM!!!

Jun 30, 2022 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

Kaieteur News – I do not accept that a misleading report in an online media source triggered Tuesday’s violent protests, beatings, looting and arson. The large numbers of persons that were so quickly on the scene and ready to march and rampage could not have been a spontaneous act.
Guyanese have a high literary rate. They can discern senses from nonsense. They are not going to get carried away by a report that a man was moved from being under close arrest to being under open arrest.
The report was not the cause of the protests and other acts of criminality. That report became the occasion for what took place and most likely would have been a pre-planned surprise which caught the authorities off-guard.
The intelligence services have much to answer for not uncovering what was a diabolical plot. They ought to have been aware and to have forewarned the authorities of what was being planned.
The police have come in for harsh condemnation for not stopping the march of protestors and not being present during the storming of the markets at Lusignan and Mon Repos. But there is little that the police could have done more than what they did.
Riotous conduct is hard to bring control, especially when the marchers were moving with a ferocity which suggested that they were intent on clearing everything in their path. The rioters were moving by foot, on cycles and motorcycles and their objective was clear – to beat, loot and burn. Once the rioters started their move along the East Coast Public Road, unless barricades could have been quickly thrown up further up, it was always going to be difficult to control the situation. And even the barricades would not have stopped those who were bent on mayhem.
The security services misread the situation. They initially assumed that the protests were against the policeman that was involved in the shooting of Quindon Bacchus. As such, they assumed that the police station at Vigilance would have been a target. As such, they massed ranks of police and soldiers. If they had a better understanding that the protests were staged rather than spontaneous, they would have been able to get the Tactical Services Unit in place earlier and thus erect barriers to contain the protestors. Once, however, protestors proceeded with lightning speed along the roadway, trouble was in the making.
The protestors knew where they were going and their mission. They targeted the market vendors. The distance between the epi-centre of the protests at Golden Grove and the Mon Repos Market is 6.5 miles. Between Golden Grove and Mon Repos there are 25 villages: Haslington, Logwood hope, Hope, Foulis, Paradise, Bachelor’s Adventure, Melanie Damishana, Elizabeth Hall, Enterprise, No Pariel, Coldigen, Strathspey, Bladen Hall, Vigilance, Friendship, Buxton, La Reconnaissance, Annandale, Courbane Park, Nog Eens, Tow Friends, Good Hope and Endragt. This shows there was a clear intent to rob, beat and loot.
Everyone did not walk from Golden Grove to Mon Repos. Persons joined from elsewhere, suggesting a pre-planned attempt to create a riotous situation.
By the time the melee reached Mon Repos the security services were already isolated. The vendors were left helpless.
The vendors however could have done more to defend themselves. They capitulated too easily because every man Jack scrambled for himself or herself and they did not come together to ward off the protestors who were mainly armed with sticks.
The administration of the markets along with the vendors now have to come together to develop a security plan to avoid a reoccurrence. But this will involve removing those who sell along the roadside, something that is going to be resisted by the vendors. But they will have to make a choice about their long-term safety as opposed to the convenience which they enjoy but which is an inconvenience to others.
What happened on Tuesday was not the result of some misleading report on social media. The spread of the violence was too large to have been triggered by a misleading report.
There had to have been intellectual authors to last Tuesday’s pandemonium. The intelligence agencies must answer to who are these agents and why this plan was not detected earlier.
Those who beat, robbed, looted, transported and received stolen property must be brought to justice. The President has said this is what he expects. But these things are easier said than done.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Latest News

MAYHEM!!!

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 20th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Rutherford gets big payday from Gujarat Titans at IPL 2025 Mega...

Roach and Seales star as West Indies close in on...

Delroy Tyrrell continues to excel at Oneonta...

Ramdass Royals Crowned Champions of the Inaugural...

KFC Guyana distance self from delayed payment of...

Ravens and Royals ready for epic Elite 16 final...

Features/Columnists

A call for more cultural centres

Rising Gun Crimes in the Caribbean: Urgent Action required by all

Political constants: opportunism, ambition or betrayal

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

MAYHEM!!!

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 20th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]