– call for Greene to resign

Outraged at the most recent allegations of police torture involving a 15-year-old boy, representatives of Red Thread, Grassroots Women Across Race and the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) yesterday staged a picketing exercise while calling for the resignation of Police Com-missioner Henry Greene.

Some of the picketers gathered at the corners of Camp and Young streets yesterday afternoon.

The picketers, who had originally planned to protest in front of the Commission-er’s Office, were prevented from doing so by police officers and were not allowed beyond the barricades set up at Camp and Young streets.  The picketers, nevertheless, gathered at this corner and conducted their picketing exercise. There were barricades also set up further along Young Street with a strong police presence.  As they gathered they also distributed flyers stating their concern on the matter.

Co-ordinator of Red Thread Karen De Souza said that the purpose of the picketing exercise was to show how disgusted they were that a 15-year-old could be maltreated in such a manner at a police station.

She said that the group had attempted to meet the commissioner to express their concerns but it is clear that he does not want to speak with them.  De Souza said that “the Police Force is out of control and that “he [Greene] must do the right thing and demit office”.

De Souza, who carried a poster bearing some cabinet members and with the front page photo carried in Saturday’s edition of Kaieteur News attached, stated that her placard was significant. “They are all guilty,” she said, referring to the Cabinet members.  She pointed out that up to the time of the protest yesterday afternoon, they were yet to hear an official response from a government official.

When asked if she expected the parliamentary opposition to bring the matter before the National Assembly once more, she said that this made little difference since the government used its majority to protect its own interests. Last year, a motion brought before the National Assembly by the PNCR-1G calling for the state to honour its obligations under the UN Convention against Torture and set up an independent inquiry into allegations of torture by the joint services was defeated.

Chairman of the WPA Desmond Trotman said representatives from the party were participating in the protest as concerned citizens.  He said the latest atrocity concerning the 15-year-old boy is an “abomination”. He said that they were not only protesting this case but all others where similar treatment was meted out. Trotman said “enough is enough” and added that all concerned Guyanese should come out and demand answers from the government.

According to Trotman, the matter has now gotten out of hand since the government did not seek “to rein them in earlier”. 

The party Chairman also criticised the Commissioner of Police who he said had failed to conduct his duties properly.