Vivian Henry, the APNU+AFC activist who is alleged to have been assaulted by supporters of another political party in Region Two last Wednesday, says he can think of no motive outside of his political activism for the attack.
The police are still awaiting an official statement from Henry in order to proceed with the investigation.
Region Two Commander Crystal Robinson told Sunday Stabroek that Henry had not yet signed an official complaint, which was required for the investigation to proceed.
Henry later told this newspaper that he was on his way back to the region from Georgetown, where he has been since the incident.
“I made a complaint at the Charity Station but it was a general report and I went to the hospital to get a medical. I think the police should have the medical from the hospital by now and I’m on my way back to sign any statement that is required,” he said.
According to Henry, while he knows his attackers “by seeing them,” he has never had any interaction with them before the night of February 19th and it was clear that the subsequent assault was politically motivated.
He stressed that while neither he nor the men were in party colours or paraphernalia, his activism has made him and his politics identifiable, while they are publicly aligned with another party.
“I host a TV programme on the only TV stations broadcasting all through the Essequibo,” he noted.
According to Henry, soon after he entered a private entertainment venue, four men started making derogatory remarks about President Granger and the incumbent administration.
“I ignored them and they continued for a very long time, moving on to derogatory statements about me,” he said, while explaining that several of the statements included homophobic slurs and sexual threats.
The activist said at one point it became clear that the men were hoping that he would retaliate physically but he chose instead to leave.
“I entered my private transportation and three of them, including a former police officer, attacked me. They hit me with bottles in my head and across my face. They tried to drag me out of the vehicle but I held on. My taxi driver, who tried to help me, was also injured,” he indicated.
Throughout all of this, the staff of the establishment is said to have looked on without intervening.
“There was a security guard standing there and he did nothing. I was a customer and he did nothing, just watched. The bar girl came out and was just looking on. They did nothing. They didn’t even call the police or anything,” Henry lamented.
The attack on Henry was brought to the public’s attention by President David Granger, who told reporters on Friday that he was certain it was politically motivated.
“We have received some very disturbing reports of hooliganism in Region Two…one of the persons associated with the coalition was badly beaten by thugs associated with another party and those reports are being investigated,” Granger told reporters following his observation of voting at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) headquarters, Camp Ayanganna.
The president explained that the party had received reports that Henry had been “going about his business innocently” when he was pounced upon.
“We are convinced that the beating was politically motivated. It was not criminal or social; it was politically motivated,” he said, before adding that the incident would be reported to the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC).
