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Hundreds of Lindeners on Friday afternoon supported a ‘say no to racism’ march as part of a countrywide movement following the killing of three boys on the West Coast Berbice.
The march commenced at various locations and culminated at the Linden Martyrs Monument. Men, women and children of all ethnicities came out their numbers donned in unity attire and held placards chanting “no justice no peace”. They were led by Linden leaders: Members of Parliament Jermaine Figueira and Devin Sears and Mayor of Linden Waneka Arrindell. Mayor of Bartica Gifford Marshall was also present.
The march sought to show the rest of Guyana, that Linden too demands justice for the three lives of the West Coast Berbice teens that were murdered a few days ago and more importantly an end to racial hate, discrimination and marginalisation toward citizens.
In the main address, Figueira emphasised that demonstrations as these will continue until unity is achieved. “It is as a result of actions like this, protest where change becomes a reality, in which one seeks and that is what we are seeking here, change. We do not want to live in a Guyana where we feel fearful because of how we look, because of our ethnicities, because of our political affiliation, because of whatever reason, we believe that people have a right to choose and that right must be respected.”
The Member of Parliament encouraged all leaders to lend their vioces to the call for unity and to play an active role in social cohesion. “This is a just cause, this is a cause that is calling for unity in Guyana, a call that is being made to end discrimination, we urge leaders to play that role .
While the demonstration was triggered by recent events in the West Berbice Region, Figueira said that Lindeners are also standing up against future marginalization as a municipality, something that is widely believed to have occured pre- 2015. With the swearing in of a new Government, he said Lindeners demand equal opportunities, job creation and economic empowerment as any other town in Guyana.
Sharing similar sentiments were Mayors Waneka Arrindell and Gifford Marshall who both called for the end of racism and discrimination. “Linden I say to you that this must stop, we cannot continue to lose our sons we cannot continue to lose our brothers, our sisters and our families to what has been happening in this country,” Marshall said. The march mimicked many other similar demonstrations that have been occurring across Guyana, calling for justice for the brutal murder of Joel and Isaiah Henry of No. 3 Village West Coast Berbice. A similar demonstration was held in Victoria earlier on Friday.
