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- Police detain, then apologise to, peaceful protesters at national vigil for MV Barima victims
Police detain, then apologise to, peaceful protesters at national vigil for MV Barima victims
(Kaieteur News) – The Guyana Police Force (GPF) is facing mounting criticism after officers arrested and briefly detained three female civil society activists during a government-organised national prayer service at the Kingston Seawall on Wednesday evening, in an incident critics say raises serious constitutional breaches.
Sherlina Nageer, Salima Bacchus-Hinds, and Romola Lucas were taken into custody on July 22 after staging a quiet demonstration calling for the resignation and prosecution of Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill. The vigil had been organised to honour the victims of the MV Barima, the Georgetown-to-Port Kaituma ferry that capsised and sank on Saturday, July 18.
Sherlina Nageer, holding a poster on Wednesday.
According to a media statement issued Thursday by the demonstrators, a group of five women stood on the periphery of the Bandstand holding signs demanding political accountability for what they described as a “completely preventable” maritime tragedy. Witnesses said the women engaged peacefully with passersby throughout the prayers and songs that marked the service.
Tensions rose roughly an hour into the event, however, when the group relocated near the “One Guyana” sign along the seawall. Police officers confronted them and instructed them to clear the area. When the activists questioned the legal basis for the order and attempted to return to their original position, officers moved to detain them.
The activists allege that officers forcibly dragged Nageer before taking her into custody. Bacchus-Hinds and Lucas were arrested shortly after, having followed Nageer to the Brickdam Police Station, which is currently operating out of the Eve Leary compound. Police initially justified the arrests by citing “unlawful protest,” the absence of a permit, and possession of “illegal signs.”
All three women were released on their own recognisance after roughly an hour in custody. In their statement, the activists said police subsequently dropped all charges and offered an apology during a follow-up meeting with the Police Commander on Thursday morning.
Police swarming the activists at the Georgetown seawall.
Despite that apology, the women condemned the episode as an act of state overreach and physical abuse, invoking Article 147 of the Constitution of Guyana, which guarantees freedom of assembly and peaceful demonstration.
“The verbal harassment, physical abuse, and arbitrary detention of three peaceful protestors amounts to State overreach, abuse of power, and threatens the constitutional rights of all citizens,” the activists said in their statement.
The group confirmed it will file a formal complaint with the Police Force’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) over the officers’ conduct.
The incident has added fresh scrutiny to the fallout from the MV Barima sinking, which has left dozens dead or unaccounted for. The activists are pressing for an independent, transparent investigation into the disaster, a comprehensive overhaul of hinterland and coastal public transport infrastructure, and the immediate resignation of Minister Edghill.
As of Thursday, neither government officials nor police representatives had issued a formal public statement addressing the officers’ conduct at the seawall.
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