The protest by Lindeners over the collapse of their electricity and water supply continued yesterday with hundreds journeying five miles from the Wismar-Mackenzie bridge to the Bamia bridge on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway to block vehicles entering or leaving Linden.
At press time last night, it was reported that police flown in from Georgetown had helped to unblock the Bamia Bridge and the Kara Kara bridge and that traffic had resumed flowing in the Region 10 town up the Demerara River.
While hundreds of the protestors walked the distance yesterday to Bamia, others travelled on bicycles and some packed themselves in open back vehicles. En route, large roadblocks were set up but at the Bamia bridge a massive barricade was erected making the mining town virtually inaccessible by road until last night.
President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday said that by this weekend 80% of Linden's customary power supply should be restored.
Power was restored to central Mackenzie, parts of Retrieve, the Linmine Machine Shop and most water treatment plants on Sunday at around 9:15 pm, allowing for the resumption of water supply to most areas at Mackenzie and a few areas at Wismar.
But upon investigation Stabroek News was told that the water supply at Wismar lasted for just over two hours. In sections of Mackenzie it went off with the electricity sometime after 5:30 am yesterday morning and was on and off from about 2 pm yesterday afternoon.
President Jagdeo, according to a Government Information Agency (GINA) statement, said that the 1.25 MW set from the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) which had been sent up from Georgetown should have been working by last night. Another one is already in service.
"The best hope is to keep those two units that we have sent up, working and maybe send up a third unit and to get the (LPC) steam power plant back into operation...If that happens by weekend, we may be able to return to full or at least 80 per cent power supply to Linden and simultaneously work on a reliable arrangement", Jagdeo was quoted as saying. He also announced that he was scheduled to have a meeting with the Cambior Group - the parent company of Omai Gold Mines Limited - to discuss the possible sale of LPC.
If an agreement for electricity with Cambior/Omai was not possible, Jagdeo said that government might have to lease units from abroad to provide an additional 2.5 megawatts and this might take around a month.
Electricity supply to Linden broke down on March 30 following the failure of the steam plant operated by the privately owned LPC which is now in receivership.
When this newspaper took a walk to the Linden Power Company (LPC) workers were seen covered in grease as they worked to have two cylinder heads repaired. One of the engines rushed to Linden by the government is still not in working condition.
And yesterday most of the main businesses were closed. The bus, taxi and ferry services were still out of operation. As such most persons did not turn up at their place of employment.
The arcade and shops at the market extension were also closed. But the greens and some grocery stalls along the riverside at Mackenzie were open for business.
Several protestors have expressed their intention to continue the protest action today.
And yesterday, too, residents of Ituni continued to protest, demanding electricity supply and water. On Sunday they had blocked the entrances to Aroaima and Kwakwani, crippling the flow of traffic from these two communities.
Yesterday just as the barricade was being erected at Bamia two Chinese diplomats from the Chinese Embassy in Georgetown turned up and were forced to turn back. The diplomats told Stabroek News that they were on their way to the Mackenzie hospital complex where they had four doctors stationed. "We heard of the water situation and were taking water and other supplies to them but ... they do not want to let us pass."
This newspaper counted more than 50 persons who were on their way into the town and were forced to walk miles to reach their destination. Among them were pregnant mothers, some of whom had to carry small children in their arms, and several young children. Many others who were on their way out of Linden had to walk the distance across the barriers to get a bus to Georgetown.
Most of those leaving Linden said that they were making their exit because they feared the worst. "Things ain't looking good at all, so I taking my children to town and come back and join the struggle," one woman said. Several others expressed the same view.
As the day wore on many others joined the protest at Bamia giving support to block the bridge. A number of protesters later attempted to burst the road but they were stopped by others.
After the protestors left around 4:30 pm, Stabroek News was informed that a backhoe which was parked at the nearby creek assisted in removing the blockage, allowing a free flow of traffic along the highway but there were several other heavy barriers at Amelia's Ward.
The five days of protests have seen sporadic incidents of violence and robbery. (See other story on page 10.) A police release yesterday said that at Ituni a number of persons had placed fallen trees across the road blocking the main entry and exit points to Kwakwani. The release said that members of the force had been engaged in clearing the blockages.
President Jagdeo yesterday warned that lawlessness by the protestors would not be tolerated.
According to GINA, he said, "I do not have a problem with ordinary people protesting peacefully, but some people are using this situation to capitalize and create confusion and steal. Some of them are even threatening officials. The Regional Chairman Mortimer Mingo had this experience of being threatened".
He added "we have some of them already on tape and the law we passed recently provides for the usage of video tape to produce evidence in court. I want some of them, those who have broken the law, not peaceful protestors (to be charged). They have committed criminal acts and they are going to face the full force of the law".