The Guyana Press Association (GPA) has condemned threats and verbal assault on media workers, which has increased in recent time and more so escalated on Friday evening outside Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), headquarters, High Street, Kingston, Georgetown. On Friday evening, media workers were gathered outside of the Secretariat to provide coverage of the vote tabulation process when supporters of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) coalition stormed the barricaded perimeter, hurling threats at the press.
A photographer being barred by the mob at the Command Centre earlier Friday afternoon
Apart from facing strong verbal intimidation, the mob of persons – parading in green and yellow shirts – proceeded to block media workers from accessing their colleagues inside to provide equipment and food. Many journalists took to their social media platforms to highlight the terrorisation faced while trying to carry out their jobs. In an instance, one person said she nearly escaped a physical assault by the crowd, as senior ranks of the Guyana Police Force ignored the impudent attack. While they would have called for intervention from law enforcement throughout the entire attack, none was forthcoming.
During the ordeal, some persons indicated that they were ‘pounced on’ while the crowd shouted “no media”. This resulted in many members of the media fleeing the area in fear since their safety was being compromised with no assistance from the Police.
This did not go down well with the Guyana Press Association, which on Saturday called out Police Commissioner Leslie James and GECOM for the incident. The GPA in condemning the threats stated that such treatment to media workers has been occurring ever since the elections coverage commenced earlier this month.
While GECOM would have established a media centre for the electoral period, the press was restricted from entering the building, and later told to stand behind the barricade, strategically placed tens of metres away.
“The Guyana Press Association condemns the threats, verbal assault and attempts of physical attacks of our media workers over the past weeks, including the last two days as they gathered around the GECOM tabulation centre and GECOM Secretariat to inform and update the nation about elections. We hold the leaders of the major political parties, Police Commissioner and members of the Guyana Elections Commission responsible for any harm brought to media professionals as they conduct their duties,” the statement read.
It positioned that the safety of the press continues to be threatened by the lack of interest by authorities embedded in the elections process to provide security.
Commenting on the bombarding commotion on Friday evening, the Association said, “From the start of results tabulation, GECOM and the Guyana Police Force have played dodge ball with the safety and security of media workers and requests for a secured spot outside of the tabulation centre have been met with refusal… Media workers were verbally abused based on the media outlet they represented and their ethnicity, as members of the crowd attempted to even check packages that included their equipment and food in their possession.”
As customary, media workers were frequently gathered in front of the GECOM Secretariat or Command Centre on Hadfield Street to solicit information as politicians, observers and other officials entered or exited the building to provide updates.
There, supporters have congregated in the past to launch threats during interviews or while these persons were on standby. On Friday afternoon, one cameraman was seen using his camera in defence as an angry mob of persons forcefully chased him away from the GECOM headquarters.
