PUPILS and residents of the East Coast Demerara community of Strathspey yesterday continued demonstrations for increased security, following the foiled attempt to kidnap a student on Wednesday.

The placard-bearing demonstrators are also demanding the removal
of Army personnel
deployed in joint patrols with the Police after months of violent attacks on the lower East Coast.

When the Chronicle visited yesterday, residents said four men passed by the Primary School at around 09:00 hrs, saying they would be returning to take away one of the students.

This prompted a demonstration by the students and some parents, calling for the removal of Army personnel and chanting slogans such as "No children. No future."

The Police were alerted about the threat made by the four men and a Police patrol was immediately dispatched in the vicinity of the school.

Residents told Chronicle that they were very upset and perturbed by the incident and accused Army personnel of not doing anything to apprehend the perpetrators of the foiled kidnapping on Wednesday.

Dissatisfied villagers said despite assurances by the Government of round-the-clock security, bandits are daily raiding the community, rustling their cattle and other animals being reared by them for a livelihood.

The residents said they would continue their demonstrations until they are satisfied that adequate security measures are implemented.

In the meantime, they have placed several logs and rocks as road blocks along the roadway leading to the school to enhance the security of the area.

The protests were sparked earlier in the week following an attempt by three gunmen to kidnap an 11-year-old schoolgirl.

The armed men, who came from the direction of the neighbouring and violence-prone village of Buxton, had been moving around on bicycles, residents said.

The girl, who is a student of Strathspey Primary School and the daughter of a businessman, was lifted bodily out of the school while class was in session.

Fortunately, she was rescued when members of the Community Policing Group fired several shots from their homes to scare the kidnappers and a driver of a motor car and public spirited citizens gave chase. One of the kidnappers was struck down but managed to get up and escape.