Disrupting the Peace

THE acting top cop, Clifton Hicken, has urged members of the public to desist from acts that are considered ‘unlawful’ such as blocking roadways, burning tyres and disrupting traffic flow.

As noted by the Police Commissioner (ag), it is not uncommon for persons to be intimidated or robbed during such actions, therefore, persons who are involved in such unlawful actions will face the full force of the law.

The warning came in wake of recent attempts by some residents of the Buxton community to block the roads which momentarily halted the flow of traffic on the main corridor. And, as if that were not enough, a lorry was set on fire resulting in millions of dollars of losses to the owner.

Luckily, the driver of the vehicle escaped unhurt. Apart from the inconvenience, there is also the agonising fear and trauma that the commuting public is subjected to during such unlawful actions.

Blocking the roadways and setting fire on public roads are not only illegal, but it also poses a threat to public safety.

According to a recent police release, such behaviour is unlawful and will not be tolerated and persons who are held accountable will face the full brunt of the law.

According to the police, the force will have “a zero tolerance approach” to ensure that laws are adhered to throughout the country.

It is not without significance that these disruptions to public safety are taking place at a time when the country is making great strides in terms of its international profile as a tourist destination.

In fact, at the time of the blocking of the roads and the burning of tyres on the Buxton road, the country was host to Letitia Wright, who is a Guyanese-British actress of international acclaim.

She came to the country on the invitation of President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali following her outstanding acting performance in the internationally acclaimed movie ‘Black Panther.’

Not without significance also is the fact that the protest actions took place at a time when the country was presented with one of the largest national budgets in the country’s history, in the sum of $789.1 billion; this is aimed at bringing further benefits to the Guyanese people from all walks of life and from right across the political and ethnic spectrum of the country.

One is left to wonder whether there are more to these so called “protest” actions than is meeting the eye, and whether there may not be some hidden agenda by those who have, as it were, their own political axes to grind.

How else can one explain the fact that the recent fiasco on the Buxton roadways, according to police reports, resulted from attempts by law enforcement agencies to go after alleged drug traffickers, who were actually found at the time of their arrest with a sizeable amount of illegal substance?

For sure, the vast number of citizens of the Buxton community are law-abiding and would under no circumstance encourage nor tolerate any infraction of the law.

In any case, the Constitution of Guyana makes provision for peaceful forms of protest but these must be done within the framework of the law.

The blocking of roadways and burning of tyres and other debris as was the case recently in Buxton certainly do not qualify as a “peaceful” protest.

The Commissioner of Police (ag) is spot on to remind citizens about the implications of taking the law into their own hands and the legal implications that could emanate as a consequence.