Police, army clear Dartmouth Road after protests

Police on the Essequibo Coast, with assistance from the Guyana Defence Force and officers of the Guyana Fire Service, cleared the Dartmouth bridge of debris in the wee hours of Wednesday.

Protesters calling for justice in the murder of businessman Orin Boston blocked the road early on Tuesday, interrupting the free flow of traffic which greatly affected businesses and school attendance.

Regional Commander Woman Superintendent Denise Griffith confirmed that the road has been cleared and noted that police presence will remain to ensure the free flow of traffic.

Previous attempts made by the police to clear the road were resisted by the protestors, some of who hurled broken bottles at them.

The protest came days after a member of the SWAT Unit was released on $1 million bail on a manslaughter charge for the fatal shooting of Boston in September last year. The protesters called him for him to be charged with murder.

Relatives of Boston also joined protesters and called for the case to be re-heard.

Boston’s father, Orin Snr., maintained that his son was shot in his sleep and that no warrant was issued at the time of his death.

The Police claim Boston was shot during an anti-crime operation. The SWAT unit was reportedly searching for prohibited items in Boston’s house although nothing illegal was found during the raids.