After the killing by police of three Linden protesters on Wednesday and continuing unrest in the town, the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) yesterday issued an eight-point demand which included a call for Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee to resign, something President Donald Ramotar disagreed with.
“We call on the Guyanese people to stand in solidarity with the families and relatives of the dead and the injured and the entire Linden community. We are convinced that only a mass resistance movement can halt this madness,” the party said at a press conference at its headquarters Rodney House, Queenstown.
“It depends, to my mind, what kind of mass backing the calls get.
It is one thing for political parties to make demands and make calls but to my mind these calls have to be reinforced by mass action, mass protests and continuing mass engagement,” WPA executive member Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine said.
Among the party’s demands are the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Sam Hinds, resignation or dismissal of Home Affairs Minister Rohee and the dismissal and charging with murder of the senior police officer who ordered the shooting of protesters on Wednesday.
Ramotar, at a subsequent press conference yesterday, when asked about the call for resignation or dismissal of Rohee said, “My Minister of Home Affairs was not on the ground and he was not directing anything. I don’t agree with their call.”
WPA also called on the Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell and the ranks to refuse to carry out orders to kill peaceful citizens. “Your job is to serve and protect; not to murder on behalf of a discredited government,” the party said.
The WPA says it also wants the other shooters to be fired for not having the sense to disobey illegal orders. They urged policemen to read international laws that Guyana is a signatory to as they promised to stand by lawmen who are penalized by the force for insubordination with respect to firing illegally into protest crowds.
Wednesday’s incident was the second time in six months that police opened fire on protesters, injuring several of them. Back in December, a group of pro-APNU protesters, including Retired Brigadier Edward Collins, was injured by rubber bullets. The matter is currently before the court.
The commanding officer of the squad was rapped by the Home Affairs Ministry for violating procedures but he was never penalized. “The action in Linden is not the first time the police have fired at unarmed and peaceful protestors since the November 2011 elections”, the WPA said.
Opposition Leader David Granger has said that Wednesday’s clash could have possibly been avoided had authorities heeded his call back then for a probe into the December shooting because an inquiry would have identified the weaknesses and made recommendations on how the force should cope with peaceful protesters.
This stance was also echoed by WPA executive Dr. David Hinds yesterday. “We allowed December to pass by without strong and sustained protest and we get now to July. If we allow July to go without strong and sustained protest, there is going to be August and September…,” said Hinds, a political science professor in the United States.
Also in the demands is that government compensate the families of the victims who were shot. “The families of the victims should be adequately compensated by the government, the resignation and installation of a new Police Service Commission and the withdrawal of the electricity rate increase for Linden. This should be non-negotiable,” according to the party.
When questioned on this President Ramotar said yesterday, “That has not yet been discussed but we are open to discussion on all of these things.” Asked about plans to interface with “people on the ground” the President replied “…You mean I need to go to Linden? Not immediately but I’m not ruling that out either.”
The WPA is also calling for a day of mourning and reflection in the wake of the tragedy.
