Private Sector condemns ECD protests, assassination threats against President

…says all forms of illegal acts must be rejected by wider society

Condemning the protests over the alleged murder of Quindon Bacchus that devolved into a spate of illegal actions including robbery and destruction of properties, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) has urged that calm prevail and that all of society reject any illegal acts.

During the protest action, one protester was filmed threatening the life of President Dr Irfaan Ali.
According to the PSC, this must also be rejected and noted that while citizens have a right to peaceful protest, violence must not be tolerated.
“The PSC is disturbed by the protest action taking place on the East Coast of Demerara which has led to the destruction of properties, robberies, and physical assaults over the alleged murder of 23-year-old, Quindon Bacchus by a policeman on June 10, 2022,” they said.
“The Commission recognizes that while it is the constitutional right of Guyanese to peaceful protest, all forms of illegal acts must be strongly condemned by the wider society. Further, the PSC rejects the threat of assassination made against the President of Guyana by one of the protesters during a live broadcast of the protest action.”

Calling the incidents that took place a “sad development” which appears aimed at promoting vulgarity and lawlessness, the PSC appealed for all citizens to remain calm and cooperate with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) as it investigates Bacchus’s killing.
During Tuesday’s protests, several vendors of the Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD) market were looted by marauders who used the cover of the protest to assault, rob, destroy the vendors’ stalls, and even torch vehicles.
One vendor told this publication that earlier on Tuesday, a gang of protesters rushed into the market armed with sticks, pieces of wood, metal, and iron and began to break down stalls, set vehicles on fire, and steal goods. The vendors, she noted, had to run for their lives.
“Right now, everybody is frustrated … we didn’t expect this to happen … what people trying to do here is racist but we can’t do that … we have to depend on each other and if we continue like this, we can’t go forward,” the vendor told this publication.
Another vendor, Lakeram Lallchan, described the situation as unfair. Several goods vehicles were destroyed by fire; one of them was said to be a newly-purchased bus. It is anticipated that millions of dollars were lost as a result of the “protests”.
President Dr Irfaan Ali, who met with vendors at Mon Repos whose stalls and vehicles were destroyed by the groups of persons, has since confirmed that vendors who lost their goods and their properties, will be compensated. Additionally, he has assured that those responsible will face the full force of the law.

Arrest
The policeman under investigation for the death of Bacchus is under open arrest and confined to the Guyana Police Force’s Headquarters. A statement was issued by the GPF on Tuesday morning after controversial Facebook Page Guyana Daily News inaccurately posted to social media that the cop, who hails from Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara, has been released from Police custody.
Bacchus, a father of one of Golden Grove, ECD, was allegedly shot six times about his body following an encounter with Police ranks.
It was reported that on June 10, ranks were conducting an intelligence-led operation in the Haslington New Scheme area of the ECD after receiving some information earlier in the day. While there, the ranks said, they contacted a 22-year-old construction worker, who provided them with certain information.
As a result of the information, the ranks went to Bacchus’s home, where he was seen with a firearm in his possession. He had reportedly intended to sell it to one of the ranks.
The plainclothes rank, who was armed, made arrangements to purchase the firearm from Bacchus, who left and returned with the firearm.
In the process of handing over the firearm to the rank, an alarm was raised. As a result, Bacchus ran in a southern direction and discharged a round in the rank’s direction, and the rank drew his service pistol and returned fire.
Police said Bacchus then ran further south and jumped into a yard, and the rank gave chase. While the rank was in close proximity to Bacchus, the man allegedly discharged several other rounds towards the rank, and the rank took cover and returned fire, hitting the now-deceased man about his body.
Bacchus reportedly fell to the ground, along with the firearm, which was later identified as a .380 pistol with a magazine that still had one round.
Police said Bacchus was picked up in a conscious state and escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was seen and examined, but subsequently died.