The government will not be addressing any issues regarding Linden unless normalcy is returned, presidential advisor Gail Teixeira said last evening, even as skirmishes continued between residents seeking to re-erect roadblocks and Joint Services ranks encamped in the town.
Teixeira told Stabroek News that there must be the restoration of normalcy on both sides of the river before the issues that are fuelling the over three-week-old protest action can be addressed. She noted that she would be unable to give a timetable on behalf of the government regarding the movement of the talks. “There must be normalcy,” she, however, stressed.
Despite Teixeira’s position, Region Ten Chairman Sharma Solomon said that residents will continue to resist and are gearing up for a “massive demonstration” on Saturday, which will mark one month since three Lindeners were shot dead and at least 20 more injured when police opened fire on protestors on the first day of the protest.
Up to press time last evening there were no reports of any major confrontations between residents and members of the Joint Services. Crime Chief Seelall Persaud yesterday afternoon described the situation in the mining town as “normal now,” while residents said that camps have been set up by the security forces between Amelia’s Ward and the Kara Kara Bridge.
There are more than six tents erected on the roadway, they said. It was noted that the security forces have cleared the road but it would still be difficult for vehicles to drive into Linden because of the tents that are on the road.
A resident said that the Wismar/Mackenzie Bridge is clear and that he was able to drive on it. On the Wismar side of the bridge, this newspaper was told that army ranks attempted to set up a camp at the Four Corner but were prevented from doing so by protestors who started a fire and attempted to re-erect the roadblock there.
During a press conference at the Sidewalk Café in the city, Solomon maintained that the Region remains open to talks and accused the government of “waging war” against the citizens by bringing in the Joint Services, including police from West Demerara and East Coast Demerara. He used the opportunity to call for a second Commission of Inquiry, this time focused on the events occurring between last Thursday and Sunday.
“When the president and team in government decide to talk I guess they will call us but the people are resolute in their position and they will maintain that firmness in ensuring that the justice they deserve is given,” he told reporters.
Solomon noted that so far there had been a compilation of photographic and video evidence as well as spent shells which had been recovered by resident. The foreign missions, he added, are being updated on the situation.
Asked what it would take to get people off the streets, he responded “government’s response to the satisfaction of the people of Linden.”
‘A force bigger
han them’
Meanwhile, from a prepared statement Solomon related a day-by-day account from last Thursday to Sunday of events in the mining town, maintaining that the security forces escalated the situation.
Last Thursday, he recalled, the armed forces flew over Linden with a helicopter and dropped pamphlets.
The following day, he said, the Region 10 delegation was scheduled to meet with President Donald Ramotar and his delegation to continue talks for a resolution of the situation, including the submission of the names of three persons to form the Technical Committee to examine the electricity sector, based on the Terms of Reference agreed upon. There were also to be discussions on the government’s response to the Region’s request that the Land Selection Committee be re-appointed, consistent with the results of the November 28, 2011 elections.
However, at 2 a.m. that day, Solomon charged, the armed forces “invaded” Linden, firing tear gas and forced men, women and children and the elderly onto the streets.
Thereafter, buildings were set afire and the President called off the negotiation with the Region Ten delegation.
The following day, Saturday, Solomon said that the armed forces “declared the area a war zone” as they proceeded “to antagonise and brutalise the residents and buildings were again destroyed.”
On Sunday, he noted, the situation intensified and armed forces began using “tear smoke, tear gas, pellets, buck-shots and live rounds” and a school was also burnt. He said too that the armed forces refused to allow members of the private media into the Wismar area, where the situation was occurring.
He told reporters that as at the time of yesterday’s press conference, the police had informed the regional officials that there are groups “external to the Linden community engaging in criminal activities” in the area. Solomon added that all the buildings burnt thus far are important to the lives of Lindeners, particularly the Linden Electricity Inc. office, which housed records needed by the Technical Committee and the camera recording at the Bridge Toll hut and burning them would be of no benefit to Lindeners. “The incidents over the weekend are a setback and have taught us one important lesson—the People of Region Ten and Guyana are confronting a force bigger than them,” he said.
‘Very tolerant’
Asked about Police Superintendent Errol Watts and Senior Police Superintendent Linden Alves being on the ground in Linden, in light of the allegations over their involvement in last December’s shooting of protestors with rubber bullets in the city, Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell said that the men are police officers and have duties to perform. Late last evening this newspaper learnt that Watts was removed from the community.
Residents had expressed discomfort with the duo being in Linden. The two officers were first spotted in the mining town on Sunday. “Those men are policemen, you know, these are times when we have to call on them to do duties and I understand what some people might be saying but they have to perform their duties when called upon,” Brumell explained.
When it was pointed out that the men are also before the courts following last December’s incident, Brumell said that private criminal charges were filed and added that he does not see anything wrong with the men being on the ground in Linden.
At the time, Brumell spoke to this newspaper, he said that only a few persons were on the road putting up some temporary blockages but these are being removed. “The members of the Joint Services are being very tolerant,” he said.
Asked about allegations that members of the Joint Services are going into people’s yards and homes and firing tear gas and bullets, Brumell offered a categorical denial. “That is totally false,” he said when the allegations were put to him.
He said that the Joint Services operation is limited to the roadways and keeping these clear.
Meanwhile main opposition APNU MP James Bond, who was one of those injured in last December’s shooting, said that he found the presence of Watts and Alves in Linden disturbing. “These are the gentlemen the administration has in Linden. Watts is on the ground and is heading the unit clearing the road. That is a very ticklish situation since residents are prepared to block the roads and he is the one who is having direct contact with the persons,” he noted.
Bond, who was in Linden, said that the people are being labelled as “extremists” but he said members of the Joint Services are the extremists based on their actions. He said he spoke to a young man who said while filling water in his yard he was dragged out by police who assaulted him. He noted too that residents are very distraught over two issues; the burning of the school and the actions of the police on Sunday. He said that he has received extremely disturbing reports of children being affected by tear gas while in their homes and pointed out areas where these things are happening is not on the road but in the Wismar scheme itself.
School arson suspect for release
Even as Brumell said that the arson at the school is still being investigated, Persaud told Stabroek News that the suspect in the matter may be released since there is little evidence against him.
He said that the suspect’s description does not match that which was given. “He lives nearby and when he went they held onto him,” Persaud said, before dispelling rumours that the suspect and some of the other persons were arrested over the weekend have been transferred to Georgetown for additional questioning.
Stabroek News was told yesterday that a total of 27 men were in police custody. Six were being held for arson and the others for allegedly committing a breach of the peace.
Bond told Stabroek News that residents “are very upset,” especially those in the One Mile area about the burning of the school. “They were crying about not having a school in their area and asking what will become with their children,” he said, while noting that protestors were also crying because many of their children will be affected.
