Oh Yohance

Before embarking on the march the students assembled in the George Walcott Lecture Theatre where they were addressed by President of the University of Guyana Students’ Society (UGSS), Robert Bourne and other executive members.

Representatives from non-governmental organisations and some PNCR parliamentarians were also present and were also involved in the march.

During the meeting, the mother of Douglas, Haslyn Douglas, who is also a student at the university, walked into the theatre and wept for her son as she held up a photograph of him for all to see. “Oh Yohance, Oh Yo Yo, why deh kill you?” she asked bringing many to tears.

The UGSS executive along with other students attempted to stop classes as they were calling for a total boycott until their demands were met. But some students maintained that they would remain in their classes as the lecturers were already there.

Before leaving the campus, the car, PHH 8115, which Douglas and his friends were in when he was killed, was driven onto campus by Grey’s uncle and this caused many students to weep as they saw the bloodstained vehicle.

There were no bullet holes on the car except for one on the number plate which appeared to be where a bullet had exited. The interior of the car was blood stained while blood was also seen on the exterior of one of the doors. The fact that the car only bore one bullet hole indicated that the police officers shot the youths through the car windows.

On seeing the car, Douglas’ mother climbed inside and wept as she called out her son’s name.

After marching around the campus the students left for the city with the car leading the way along with other vehicles.

The march was joined by Dr Mark Kirton, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, and other lecturers and along the way many persons joined in. A Guyana Police Force car was also in front of the protest action.

Holding placards and chanting, the students marched through several city streets.

“Stop Violence against innocents Now!”, “Murder of the Innocent Justice Deserved”, “Stop the Killing Now” read some of the signs. The students chanted, “No youths, No Guyana!”, “We want Justice”, “The police are lying while the innocent dying”, “How many more?”. Students also shared out to passing vehicles flyers which had a photograph of the dead youth and his mother.

The students marched to the corner of Delhi and Chandranagar Street, Prashad Nagar, the basketball court where the youth had last played and observed a moment of silence. Some of his colleagues and his relatives went onto the court where they placed a flyer, surrounded it and said a prayer.

The students then moved onto Sheriff Street where they called on passing motorists to blow their horns as a sign of solidarity and most of them complied.

They then marched into Mandela Avenue, then to Homestretch Avenue and into Brickdam where they congregated in front of the Ministry of Home Affairs. As the students marched past several businesses and ministries, the workers came out and expressed solidarity for their cause. They also stopped briefly in front of the Brickdam Police Station.

Outside the ministry, the students called for the resignation of McDonald and Minister of Home Affairs, Ronald Gajraj.

After unsuccessful negotiations to speak to Gajraj or his permanent secretary, Bourne addressed the students informing them to march to Eve Leary.

The students then marched through Main Street to Eve Leary where they sat on the parapet vowing not to move until they were given an audience with Commissioner McDonald.

And after some time the commissioner along with his deputy, Winston Felix and assistant commissioner, Henry Greene met with Bourne, four of his executive members and Dr Kirton in the Eve Leary conference room.

After the two-hour meeting Bourne told Stabroek News that they had presented five demands, three of which the commissioner had said could not be granted and the other two he had promised to work on.

He said they had requested that the policemen involved in the shooting be removed from desk duties and be interdicted from service. But the commissioner told them that before such a decision could be taken certain procedures had to be followed and the men would have to be charged. The UGSS team also asked for an independent commission of inquiry to be set up under the relevant act and that members of the UGSS must have a say in the choosing of the members of the inquiry panel. McDonald told them that he would have to seek legal advice on such a issue because as he understood it he did not have power to set up such an inquiry and that only the Office of the President and Minister Gajraj had such powers.

As a result Bourne said they would continue to seek an audience with Gajraj and a representative from the Office of the President.

Bourne said they had also requested that the names of the police officers involved in the shooting be revealed but the three-member police team told them that it was not prudent for such a step to be taken since the men had not been charged. The commissioner agreed to help the UGSS to have an independent pathologist to work along with the police pathologist in performing a post-mortem on Douglas’ body.

A police press release late yesterday said the force had no objection to the student body’s request for an independent pathologist on condition “they provide the funding for the pathologist who is to be identified by them.”

A promise was also elicited to deal with the fact that the police’s first press release on the incident had said that the youths were shot during a “confrontation” with its members. Bourne noted that such a word had negative connotations.

Prior to the march Bourne told a packed GWLT that the issue was for all of Guyana to confront regardless of a person’s race and political affiliation.

He revealed that the UGSS had contacted student bodies across the Caribbean and the United States seeking their condemnation of the killing.

The UGSS president warned the students persons would want to infiltrate the protest action and encourage them to break the laws and he asked them to be wary of those persons. “As university students we have to show a level of maturity which is above and beyond the average person..”

He reminded them of great leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King who organised peaceful protests to champion their causes and urged them to emulate such leaders. “We are not going to stone anyone. If any student is seen picking up a brick to throw at anyone, identify that student and get them out of our ranks.”

Dr Kirton told the students that they were calling on the authorities to ensure that Gray got the best medical attention both locally and internationally if necessary. He urged the youths to be catalysts for positive change in the country.

He called on them to support the candlelight vigil that is ongoing at the corner of Sheriff and Bonasika Streets where the young man was killed.

Douglas and Grey were part of a five-member group, which included O’Neil King, the son of a police officer, Quacy Haywood and Randolph Goodluck, the son of former police officer. They were in the car when they were shot by the police at around 9:20. King was also injured in his hand as he attempted to steer the car which was going out of control after Grey was shot. Haywood had recalled that they had observed a green CRV vehicle pull up alongside them and the men in the vehicle appeared to be saying something to them. He said that because they were playing loud music they could not hear what was being said and at that stage one of the men drew a gun and Grey called out to them not to shoot but they started shooting. Douglas is expected to be laid to rest on Saturday.

The students plan to continue their protest action today and Bourne is calling on students to boycott classes for the remainder of the week.