Dear Editor,
I was unable to take up my place alongside fellow Guyanese in the picket line on Monday outside the meeting hall at Liliendaal due to a previous commitment. I was however amazed to read that the police behaved as in 1989 outside the parliament building when citizens gathered to protest what became known as the “Crucifixion Budget” – they tried to stop the protest, citing that they were under instructions.
I thought that the right to peaceful demonstration had been won a long time ago, but the behaviour of the police on Monday has proved me wrong; we are back to square one, and as such the struggle for our rights goes on.
The defence of the right of freedom of the press, and the right to a fair share of public spending on advertisements in the press seems to be revealing the slippery path towards a dictatorial way of proceeding. We must close ranks in the interest of the common good, the good of all Guyanese, and this issue of the denial of advertisements, paid for by public funds, is a test case whether we are going to have our rights respected or not.
The struggle goes on.
Yours faithfully,
Fr. Malcolm Rodrigues SJ
