Yesterday, in our editorial the “East Coast Protest and the Police”, we said that the protest “exposed…two issues that have been plaguing the nation from its birth in the sixties – the professionalism of the police and law enforcement forces or its lack thereof combined with the opportunism of the political opposition from whose constituency most of those forces are drawn”. We addressed the first issue there and move today to the second one.
As with the unprofessional forces, the opportunism of the political opposition is also visible since the sixties. The first riots of the Independence riots was Black Friday on February 16, 1962 and it not only bears an uncanny parallel with the riot at Mon Repos Market, but with every protest and subsequent riot since – in 1992, 1997, 1998-2008 and 2020. The Wynn Parry CoI, which examined the events of Black Friday, stated: “In Guyana during February 1962, opposition political parties and the Trades Union Council (TUC) mounted street demonstrations against the Budget introduced by the P.P.P. Government led by Dr Cheddi Jagan. These culminated in riots, arson, and looting on Friday,16 February.” In the present, the Opposition elements have refused to accept the March 2, 2020 elections results and have protested every initiative of the Dr Ali Government since August 2020.
The Report continued, “The fierce violence of Black Friday, resulting in the looting of a large number of shops and the destruction by fire of 56 premises, was caused by a sudden upsurge of anger occasioned by the false rumours of the death of a child caused by tear gas fumes. There had, however, prevailed for some months previously a feeling of unrest, mounting in some cases to a sense of resentment which led naturally, if not inevitably, to the events of the week under review….The leaders of the PNC were actuated through the failure of their ambitions…” This time there were also “failed ambitions” and the false claim that the Police rank who killed Quindon Bacchus had been freed.
At a meeting the night before the riot at the Parade Ground, Mr Burnham spoke. “He began by congratulating his listeners on the splendid performance of the morning when there had been a wholesale breach of the proclamation. (He) criticised the unsympathetic attitude of the Volunteer Force and of the police. In his peroration he declared that a government could not be got rid of by merely saying “Resign” or “Down with Jagan”. “Those are useful and helpful slogans, but much more than slogans are required in the present circumstances. Comrades, first of all, let me say this, that the PNC sees the way clearly, step by step and phase by phase. All I can tell you is this, that it is no sense taking part in this explosion which has happened at this moment if you are going to peter out or turn back half way. You have to see it through . . . .” This is exactly what happened at the funeral of Bacchus the day before when a host of Opposition figures harangued the crowd.
Burnham continued with his “esoteric” signalling: “I believe that the PNC knows what we all want and knows how we will seek to achieve what we all want; but one thing I know you do not want, one thing I know the P.N.C. will not countenance, and that is violence. Comrades, violence we shall never start because we are a peaceful people. If there is to be violence, let others start it, not the PNC; but Comrades, they shall not pass.” How different was this to the sanctimonious exhortations of the social media instigators against “violence” before, during and after the protest march?
After this, Mr Burnham advised his audience to take a rest on the following day, but he had by now worked them up into such a state of frenzy that they declared their firm determination to continue the agitation in the morning. There was an ominous foreboding in the promise which Mr Burnham made in reply to the reaction of the audience to his exhortation for rest.
“I have heard what you have had to say, and I have noted very carefully what you prefer and want, and therefore, Comrades, you will be informed what exercises may be necessary tomorrow.”
And on Tuesday, “the next day”, we had the Mon Repos Mayhem.
