Protest continues over gruesome murder of Berbice teens

Sep 08, 2020 News

Villagers from No.3, No.4, No.5, No.28 Village, Belladrum and Hopetown, West Coast Berbice yesterday continued to protest for justice for Isaiah Henry, 16, and Joel Henry, 19, whose butchered bodies were found on a coconut farm in the Cotton Tree backdam Sunday afternoon.

Protest at Number 5, WCB road yesterday morning.

Persons who were scheduled to head to Georgetown or return to Berbice were stuck in traffic for miles. The traffic jam, resulting from the protest action, started yesterday morning and lasted throughout the day into the night.During the morning hours, villagers blocked the public road at No.5 Village and burnt debris as a way of stating their displeasure over the killing of the two teenagers. Protesters lined the roadways and intensified their call for justice. They burnt old machinery parts, wooden planks, abandoned old tyres and other items while the police attempted to quell the situation and clear the roadways for traffic to pass. That did not work since the people formed human barricades to prevent the police from clearing the road. Road users complained bitterly over the halt in traffic that prevented them from making their way home or to work.

Hopetown also saw protest action yesterday

One resident from Region 5 posted on Facebook that her car’s windscreen was damaged after some of the angry residents attacked her vehicle Sunday night. Last evening, a resident stated that “Right now Number 5, Hopetown, Number 28 and Belladrum, they block the road and burning.” Another resident stated that police were directing vehicles to turn back.
At Hopetown, the riot squad was seen in a stand-off with protesters after they attempted to clear the road for traffic to pass freely. An excavator, intended to help with the removal of encumbrances, was left parked on the roadway as residents shouted at police ranks and refused to allow them to clear the road.
Meanwhile, over in Region 6, residents from Number One Village, Number 53 (Union) and Skeldon were picketing on the roadways for justice to be served for the Henry boys. Attempts were made to block the road at No. One Village but that was quickly quelled by a senior officer and ranks on the ground.
Parliamentary opposition members: David Granger, Joseph Harmon and Nicolette Henry visited the home of the boys grieving relatives. Granger expressed his sadness over the gruesome tragedy and pledged his party’s support.
He told the mother of one of the boys and the other relatives and neighbours who were gathered that they have to protect their children, women and young people. “We have to bind ourselves in some self-defence society and live ordinary lives. Unless we protect ourselves, nobody is going to protect us, so we must ensure that young people of any race are protected from this type of crime. They must be able to travel the road, travel in school buses and go to the backdam and live ordinary lives,” said Granger.
Up to press time, protesters were still out on the roadways, blocking traffic and burning whatever they could find.

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