Charges were yesterday read against 19 persons arrested after last Friday’s protest by Essequibo rice farmers along the Land of Plenty Public Road, including farmer and AFC regional councillor Naith Ram, who is accused of assaulting a policeman.
Magistrate Sunil Scarce, at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court, read the indictable charge of riotous assembly to 17 men who participated in the protest, while their supporters stood on the road shoulder outside the compound. The court is located in the compound of the Anna Regina Police Station and police took no chances and officers were placed by the gate to maintain order during yesterday’s proceedings.
The protest had seen farmers burn tyres and block the road before police eventually managed to
