Saturday July 21, 2012
Kaieteur News
Page 11
Linden protestors vow to continue protest T
wo Linden protestors, who were shot on We d n e s d a y, w e r e transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Thursday, nursing gunshot wounds to their body during the protest. Injured are Reuben Bowen, 56, of Lot 27 Silver City Wismar and Collis Duke, 36, of Lot 768 South Amelia Ward, Linden. Bowen, who would be celebrating his birthday on July 24, sustained a gunshot wound to his left leg, while Duke was hit to his right side face and one to both legs. At the hospital yesterday, Bowen and Duke vowed to continue their protest once they are discharged. They claimed that they would not only protest over the hike in electricity tariff but also for justice and compensation for those who lost their lives. Shemroy Bouyea, Ron Sommerset, 19 and Ivan Lewis, 46, were fatally shot by the police during the protest. Bowen said that he was on the Wismar shore
when he heard gunshot sounds emerging from Mc Kenzie shore, “I went there and I see the police a distance away shooting.” He said that the police, who went to the scene, “went with the intention to kill. They released teargas, then shoot pellets at the crowd and lastly, fired live rounds. The crowd got angry when the police start shooting.” He said during the shooting, he was shot and was taken to the hospital. Duke said that he was part of the protest from the start. He said that the protestors moved from Christianburg to the Mackenzie Bridge to get attention. “Only when we go on the bridge then we does get attention.” He said that after blocking the bridge, the police came and order them to clear the bridge but they refused. “They left and come back and ask us to move about five times and when we refuse they start with their madness.” He said that the protest will continue until the authorities listen to them.
Govt. officials did not give order to shoot protesters - Police
T
he top brass of the Guyana Police Force is denying what it said are reports that Government officials directed ranks to open fire on the Linden protesters. A release yesterday from the Police Public Relations Department stated that “cognisant of rumours circulating among concerned members of the public, the Guyana Police
Force wishes to categorically state that at no time was any directive or instruction given to the police, either verbally or in writing, by any political personality including Ministers of the Government, in relation to the policing of the protest demonstrations that have been occurring in the community of Linden since (Continued on page 12)
Reuben Bowen
Collis Duke