When in opposition, the PNCR’s actions were far more disruptive and hooliganistic than last Thursday’s protest

Dear Editor,

I have noted with much concern the recent pronouncement by Mr David Granger in relation to the protests by PPP supporters outside the Pegasus Hotel and at the GMSA hosted lunch last Thursday.

Mr Granger, in his comments, labelled the protesters as hooligans. Videos made available on social media indicated no hooliganistic behaviour or intentions. The reactions of the protesters were verbal and not physical or violent in any way. As one who has participated in numerous protests and marches, I can state that was the shoe on the other foot, the reaction would have been different.

The question Mr Granger needs to answer truthfully is, why were the protest marches led by the late Mr Desmond Hoyte, then Opposition Leader and Leader of the PNC, now APNU, stopped?

Mr Granger and team are seemingly outraged by the protest that took place during the GMSA’s event inside Pegasus, to the extent that the organisers have been accused of aiding and abetting such actions.

However, as Mr Granger and his supporters cry foul of this particular activity, I must remind them that during their tenure in opposition, their actions were far more disruptive and hooliganistic than what was witnessed last Thursday. One such incident will remain etched in my memory, one that I will take with me to my grave.

In preparation for the 2008 May Day rally as the President of the Guyana Trades Union Congress, invitations were sent to officials of both the government (PPP/C) and the opposition (PNCR-1G) to attend the march and rally and for a representative to make brief remarks. The PNCR responded that they will be sending a group to participate in the march and rally. This I gladly appreciated since at that time, I was a member of the General Council of the PNCR-1G by way of being a National Candidate on the 2006 list of candidates for the General and Regional Elections representing the Labour constituency. The government’s representative, then Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, indicated to me via telephone the day before the rally that due to his flight’s schedule, he could not arrive in time to participate as was customary in the march but that he will travel straight from the airport to the rally. As was indicated prior, the PNCR-1G did field a large group for the event.

Mr Samuel Hinds stuck to his word and arrived at the venue for the rally, which was the Critchlow Labour College compound. However, to my dismay and embarrassment, my then political colleagues heckled Mr Hinds and then Minister of Labour Manzoor Nadir in such a boisterous manner, that not only were the proceedings interrupted for some time, but Mr Hinds and team, in the interest of not having the activity come to an end, chose to leave. All this mayhem took place despite my pleadings to the orchestrators, who were then and still are leading members of the PNC, who told me in no uncertain terms to get out of the way and to tell Mr Hinds that they will not stop until he and his team departed.

Later that day, when Messrs Jagdeo and Hinds attended my union’s after-rally activity, on my offering an apology for what took place, they both indicated that the incident in itself proved that democracy was alive in Guyana and that it was everyone’s democratic right to protest in a non-violent manner.

It’s 2019 and the shoe is on the other foot. PNC/APNU is where the PPP/C was in 2008. Some of the very things they did back then is being returned to them in a more peaceful and sedated manner and they now seek to condemn the PPP/C protesters and call them hooligans. Are they suffering from selective amnesia or is it a case of ‘do suh nah like suh’. I call it karma on the rebound.

Yours faithfully,

Gillian Burton Persaud, M.P.