Dozens of People’s Progressive Party (PPP) supporters descended on the Saraswati Vidya Niketan’s secondary school graduation ceremony attended by President David Granger yesterday as the opposition party continued its campaign of protests against the caretaker government.
The opposition supporters believe that Granger should not attend events as president of the country since, they claimed, his government is illegal following the passage of a no-confidence motion in December last year and the absence of general elections within the specified period.
In his address at the graduation ceremony, Granger said that science education is very important to the development of Guyana and handed over a $1 million cheque to assist with the expansion of the Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara school’s science programme and the equipping of the science laboratories, which are presently under construction, the Ministry of the Presidency reported.
Prior to his arrival, the PPP protestors, including children, gathered and were made to stand behind police barricades on the southern side of the road. “Granger must go” and “Illegal government” were some of their chants. Apart from holding placards, supporters were also carrying black flags, a new addition to their protesting props. When asked about the significance of the flag, several supporters were unable to explain.
“Me na know. It get some significance but I can’t really say,” a woman told Stabroek News.
“He [President Granger] is illegal and he cannot do them things what he is doing. After he illegal, he cannot attend functions and keep meetings. We are against that,” one woman, said when asked what was the purpose of their picketing demonstration.
She added that since the closure of the Wales sugar estate, they have been finding it difficult to get by and their future is filled with uncertainty. “By time 10 [am], market done. I live at Wales and it is very hard for us. We need what know what would become of the youngsters because we don’t have jobs. We don’t have jobs and some children are not going to school because parents can’t afford. Mr Granger is starving his people because we don’t have jobs and we can’t get money. If this the attitude from them for five years, we need them to go,” the woman said.
On the picketing line, several protestors also called for the Swami of the Hindu school to resign. “Swami must go,” they chanted with some expressing anger that he had invited Granger to the graduation ceremony. Granger has attended the graduation since 2015.
As the protestors chanted during the picketing exercise, close to 100 policemen, both junior and senior ranks, kept a watchful eye.
Some of the protestors told Stabroek News that despite wearing “Peaceful Protestor” tags, they were harassed by police. They claimed that police pushed the barriers against them causing injuries to several persons.
Stabroek News understands that at the time, police were extending their barriers further south and some protestors were not pleased with the move. It was at this point that the police and the protestors clashed as some protesters held on to the barriers and resisted cooperating with the police. Nonetheless, ranks pushed through.
Saved in pictures as approtest
In a video posted on social media, one person was seen being arrested by the police. Commander of the division, Linden Lord, said two persons were arrested but were later released and warned.
Subsequently, the rains came and scattered the main body of
protesters as they sought cover in different places. Some protestors, nonetheless, braved the rains and stood their ground.
A small APNU+AFC group led a counter protest some distance away. These supporters ended their protest when the rains came and they sought shelter in a bus shed.
A few weeks ago, opposition supporters began to protest at events where Granger was present and since then, police have beefed up security in areas where the president was expected to be present.
