Guyana Chronicle
March 14, 2001

POLICE last night reported they were in control after a standoff with pockets of protesters on streets around the Brickdam Police Station in Georgetown.

Commissioner of Police, Mr Laurie Lewis said two cops were injured and five persons were arrested during the confrontation.

"The situation is under control. Two ranks were injured. The foot of one of them is swollen and the other has a cut on his head", he told the Chronicle.

The cops were wounded when they were stoned and attacked by protesters linked to those who objected after police arrested controversial TV `talk show' host Mark Benschop earlier in the day.

Benschop was last night in the Brickdam lock-ups and Lewis said he would be charged this morning.

"I will stand firm. I will not allow the law to be broken", the Commissioner declared last night as patrols kept watch around the area and other parts of the city.

Police also maintained barricades around the Elections Commission headquarters.

Policemen armed with batons and guns at one stage were keeping a watchful eye on pockets of protesters chanting along Brickdam.

Barricades and police tapes were placed along Brickdam at all corners between Sendall Place and Manget Place. Vehicles were restricted from travelling along that route.

The demonstrators burned tyres and rubbish, set fire to two utility poles, threw stones at police ranks and verbally abused them.

Several shots were fired in the air to disperse the crowd.

Some demonstrators maintained that they were not leaving until Benschop was released from the Brickdam lock-ups.

Benschop was arrested earlier yesterday as a group headed to demonstrate in front the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Kingston, Georgetown, head office.

The attempt by the group to stage a demonstration in front of the GECOM base was within minutes put down by the police.

Benschop, who had earlier in the morning on a TV talk show, indicated his intention to join a `peaceful picket' outside the GECOM office calling for the elections to be postponed, was arrested as he disembarked from a car to join the group.

No one else from the crowd was reportedly arrested.

Several persons had phoned into the programme in the morning indicating that they had encountered problems with the works of the commission, and feared they may not be able to vote on Monday.

The persons who said they were from Lodge, Charlestown, Albouystown, Alberttown and La Penitence in Georgetown, told reporters they had either not received national ID cards, their names were not on the final voters list or were on lists in other places, making it difficult for them to get to the polling station.

As a result they said they decided to turn up outside the Elections Commission office to stage a peaceful protest calling for the elections to be postponed until such matters could be properly resolved.

As Benschop was whisked away by the police, about 35 to 50 irate persons who claimed that he was assaulted by the police, hurried to Channel Six Television Station in Robb Street to report the incident.

Some said they had assembled for the protest scheduled to begin at 11:30 hrs and at around 1:15 hrs Benschop turned up.

They said that about three to four policemen immediately pounced on him and without cautioning him, took him away.

Lewis said that earlier in the morning he had received word that there was a call on television by "some talk-show host", for people to demonstrate outside GECOM headquarters.

He said he was not aware who the person was.

Lewis said that GECOM Chairman Major General Joe Singh had also called and indicated that the staff there (at GECOM) had been receiving threatening telephone calls which were interfering with their morale, among other things.

The Commissioner of Police said that as result, he assured the Chairman of GECOM that he would take the necessary police action.

He said he therefore instructed that barriers be put up blocking the access to GECOM office, "to ensure free passage and everything else".

"Subsequent to that, I was advised that there was somebody there inciting this type of action, and I understand that person has been arrested," the Commissioner stated.

The top cop, at that stage, expressed shock when told by reporters that Benschop had been the person arrested.

He said he learned that the group of persons subsequently converged in the Main Street Avenue as the entrance to GECOM had been blocked.

Commissioner Lewis said that Attorney at Law Basil Williams had contacted him in connection with the alleged incident, but he had referred him to the Commander - the level at which such matters would be addressed, and appropriate action taken.

Asked whether the persons had by attempting to stage the protest, violated the law, he replied: "No permission was given for them to stage any protest."

"I am only dealing with a breach of the peace, and I am only dealing with the Public Order Act."

Lewis added that persons who want to protest should be guided by the law and the provisions of the Public Order Act, but did not go into specifics.

Protesters heading towards the GECOM base yesterday morning were prevented from getting near, since the police had put up barriers.

After Benschop was taken away, an incensed crowd moved to Brickdam and assembled outside the police station where he was reportedly being held.

Police went into action several times to clear them out of the area.