Riot police were re-deployed to the Agricola, East Bank Demerara Public Road yesterday afternoon, after attempts were made to block the road and set fires along it.
Police ranks came under siege from persons who hurled bottles and other missiles at them, shattering vehicle windows and recalling attacks during last Thursday’s demonstration in the community.
As news spread on social networking websites, many people left the city for home earlier than usual, while others in vehicles turned back rather than pass the area.
In a statement, the police said at about 4.10 pm, persons threw debris on the main public road at Agricola, and lit them. “The police however responded quickly and managed to push the debris off the roadway. Traffic is flowing freely on the main road and the police are maintaining a presence in the area amidst bricks and bottles and other missiles that are being thrown at them,” the statement said.
As this newspaper drove through the road, those ranks in riot gear were blocking access to any road perpendicular to the public road. There was also a heavy police presence around the Shell gas station at McDoom.
There were small fires that had been lit that the police managed to control and there were debris and shattered glass on many spots along the road. Police were seen crouched at the western side of the median on the road. This newspaper noted that the streetlights between Agricola and McDoom were off while the police operation at restoring order was ongoing.
As police slowly regained control of the public road between Agricola and McDoom, ranks gathered evidence and were hauling it away by the cartload. This newspaper witnessed a police vehicle towing a horse cart laden with tyres, wooden pallets and other paraphernalia used to set fires on the road. At one point, the cart became uncoupled from the vehicle and ranks had to toil to fasten it again.
Up to press time, the flow of traffic was trouble free on both the eastern and western carriageways.
Last Thursday saw thousands stranded after residents burned tyres on the road while confronting police during a protest. During the episode, a police rank suffered burn injuries, while robbers took advantage of people stuck in the traffic. The blockage also forced the cancellation of two Caribbean Airlines flights.
