Dear Editor,
On Sunday, 19 July, we woke, like the rest of Guyana to the tragic news that the MV Barima had capsized and sank on its way to Port Kaituma. Immediately our minds went to the scores of passengers who regularly make the long, rough trip between Georgetown and the Northwest Region. Some of us have friends and family in that region, have made the ferry journey there ourselves, and are familiar with the many challenges Indigenous Guyanese and other under-resourced hinterland residents face whenever they travel. Quickly questions began to emerge as to what could have caused this disaster, the rescue efforts, and the type of support families were receiving. Most importantly, we needed answers and reassurances as soon as possible from the absolute highest in authority. Instead, in the hours and days that have followed, there has been a growing mountain of questions.
On 22 July, in an attempt to collectively support and show solidarity with those who had lost loved ones, we made the decision to join the vigil organized by the government at Kingston seawall. It is our position that this tragedy was completely preventable and as we mourned, we were- and still are- outraged at the needless loss of innocent life yet again in this dear land of ours. We are unable to heal without experiencing justice and accountability. And so, we stood on the periphery of the event holding signs calling for the resignation and prosecution of the Minister with oversight of transport and infrastructure, Juan Edghill.
Our small group of 5 women stood silently and quietly as prayers, songs, and dances were offered up, holding our signs and engaging respectfully with the few passersby who had questions or offered their support. At no time did we disrupt, harass, or hinder the access or view of anybody at the event. In fact, no one at the event said anything negative to us (with the noteworthy exception of Minister McCoy). An hour into the vigil, we moved to stand behind the One Guyana sign on the seawall. At that point, several police officers (both male and female) accosted us and asked us to move from the location. We refused, knowing that it’s our constitutional right to assemble, protest peacefully, and demand accountability from our government officials.
We asked the officers to clarify which law we were breaking; they were unable to do so. Nonetheless, we soon decided to retreat from this area because we did not wish to cause a scene and disturb the event proceedings. As we attempted to return to the peripheral area we had originally occupied, the police informed us that they were going to arrest us for “unlawful protest” and escalated the situation by forcibly assaulting and dragging one in our group, Sherlina Nageer, to the Brickdam police station currently located within the Eve Leary compound. romola lucas and Salima Bacchus-Hinds followed Sherlina and all three were arrested by the police who informed us that we did not receive “permission to protest” and that we were in possession of “illegal signs.” After an hour of being booked into the station, we were released on our own recognisance and instructed to return the next morning to meet with the Commander.
We think this is a timely moment to remind the Guyana Police Force and those in authority, of Article 147 of the Constitution that guarantees all citizens of Guyana the right of assembly, association and demonstration: “no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his or her freedom of assembly, association and freedom to demonstrate peacefully”.
The verbal harassment, physical abuse, and arbitrary detention of three peaceful protestors amounts to State overreach, abuse of power, and threatens the constitutional rights of all citizens. We are not intimidated however. We call on all Guyanese to speak out against this abuse of power, to be mindful of all the ways, great and small, that our constitutional and human rights are being eroded by those at the top, and to join us in standing up for real and lasting accountability. Additionally, we reiterate our call for Juan Edghill to resign and be held accountable, for an independent and transparent investigation into the mass tragedy of the MV Barima, and for all those who contributed to this disaster to face the full brunt of the law. We also demand a total revamp of the public transportation systems, on both the Coast and Interior, to prioritize the safety, dignity, accessibility, and ease of all travellers. Persons must not suffer and die because they are unable to afford a plane ticket, because systems lack oversight, protocols are ignored, stellings not built, and more modern ferries not commissioned in a timely manner.
For too long, Guyanese have had to experience and witness violence and trauma, with zero justice and accountability. Something must change. Each of us has the power to effect that change. As the Ethiopian proverb says, “When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.”
Note: While the police dropped all (fraudulent-in-the-first-place) charges and offered us an apology the day after our “arrest” and detention, we have decided to lodge a formal complaint with the Office of Professional Responsibility at Eve Leary and pursue additional measures in an attempt to dissuade members of the Guyana Police Force from violating other citizens’ Constitutional rights in such a manner in the future.