Protesters loot, burn stalls & vehicles at Mon Repos market

Protesters who want justice for 23-year-old Quindon Bacchus on Tuesday morning burnt a minibus, a car, and several stalls at the Mon Repos Market on the East Coast Demerara.

Vendors told the News Room that the ‘protesters’ also looted and robbed several persons and damaged vehicles as they made their way through the market.

The News Room has confirmed that one fruit vendor was beaten and robbed of $700,000 in cash while the ‘protesters’ also damaged his minibus.

The protest started at Golden Grove, ECD and expanded to several other villages including Enmore, Lusignan, Good Hope and Mon Repos but the police took hours to respond and the riot squad is now in place.

In response to the peaceful turned violent protest, President Dr Irfaan Ali told the News Room that the “police must protect people’s lives and property. It is obvious that this is not all about justice for Bacchus.”

The President said the protest has now turned to “barefaced theft, damage to property and outrageous lawlessness by some. The police must arrest those who are openly damaging public and private property and stealing from citizens.”

The Head of State made it clear that “those instigating this lawlessness must also be brought to justice. We as a democratic society and a country must never allow this. Our collective voices must condemn it.”