Yesterday marked 40 years since Jesuit priest Father Bernard Darke was murdered while photographing a demonstration in Brickdam in Georgetown.
Catholic Media Guyana (CMG) noted that on 14th July 1979 the Working People’s Alliance was holding an anti-government demonstration at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court where some of their leaders were answering charges.
The demonstration was following the police van which was carrying the accused leaders, past St Stanislaus College.
CMG noted that Darke took a break from marking end of term exam papers in the College and came out to take photos of what was going on.
He met Mike James, then assistant editor of the Catholic Standard, with his wife, Maria.
Suddenly, CMG said, the crowd following the van was attacked by a gang of men armed with knives and staves.
Mike James was attacked.
Father Darke, on the other side of the road, was photographing the attack on Mike James when the attackers turned on Father Darke.
CMG said they chased him until he fell whereupon they beat him and took his camera.
As he was rising another man stabbed him the back.
He was rushed to hospital but died that evening. Reports had said that Darke had been mistaken for the Catholic Standard Editor, Father Andrew Morrison.
