Some APNU+AFC coalition supporters temporarily blocked caretaker president David Granger’s convoy as it was making its way out of State House yesterday as they demanded that he engage them.
Earlier in the day, scores of coalition supporters, carrying placards and vuvuzelas, staged a demonstration in front of the Guyana Elections Commission as they called for the swearing in of Granger, based on a report submitted by Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield using invalidated results.
At the time, elections commissioners were meeting.
Sometime between 3.30 and 4 pm, Granger, while leaving State House to attend a meeting, addressed a small gathering of supporters on Carmichael Street. As he headed back into his vehicle and the presidential convoy proceeded to leave, a new group of supporters arrived and demanded that he engage with them further.
A source close to the president’s security detail told Stabroek News that there was no security threat as there was no ruckus or direct threat to the president. The guards on the ground moved swiftly to remove persons from the roadway, thereby allowing all vehicles to safely exit the area.
A video, which was shared on social media, showed that at least three women had to be removed from the thoroughfare to allow the vehicles in the convoy to leave the area.
One woman jumped in front of the president’s official car while another lay on the ground and refused to move.
The president’s security detail, who were present, had to push away supporters and beg the woman who threw herself on the road remove but she did not adhere to their pleas. A few fellow APNU+AFC supporters subsequently stepped in and assisted in removing the woman.
As they were removing that supporter, another went and sat on the road and she too was lifted away by her fellow supporters.
Some supporters were overheard urging the others to clear the way for the vehicles to pass.
When Stabroek News reached out to the Ministry of the Presi-dency’s Director of Public Information and Press Service (PIPS) Unit Ariana Gordon, she related that she was not in a position to comment on the issue since she was not at the scene.