By Mark DaCosta- The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) staged a peaceful protest outside the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport in Georgetown on Tuesday, November 19, calling for the resignation of Minister Charles Ramson Jr. The demonstration, which took place at midday, was sparked by allegations of the minister’s mishandling of a racial incident involving the administrator of the Burrowes School of Art, Ian Ivor Thom.
The protestors, led by GTUC President Norris Witter and General Secretary Lincoln Lewis, voiced their anger over what they described as Ramson’s failure to act on the mistreatment of Thom, a prominent sculptor, who was allegedly subjected to racial abuse earlier this year. The picket took place just metres away from a billboard promoting President Irfaan Ali’s One Guyana initiative – a People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government initiative touting national unity.
Witter, speaking to Village Voice News during the demonstration, expressed the GTUC’s frustration with the government’s handling of the situation and its lack of accountability.
He said: “Mr. Charles Ramson Jr’s disrespect for Mr. Thom, administrator of the Burrowes School of Art, has been well documented. Today marks the 74th day since Mr. Thom’s dignity was violated. And to date, Mr. Ramson, who played more than an active role in violating Mr. Thom’s dignity, has not apologised. Any decent person – moreso a minister of government – would have, by now, through appeals to their conscience, done the decent thing and apologised.
“However, Mr. Ramson has not apologised, thereby bringing into question the existence of a ‘conscience.’ We state here and now that we will continue with this exercise – but no longer demanding an apology because we believe that the time for that has long passed. Instead, we demand Mr. Ramson’s removal as Minister. We say, ‘Ramson is a disgrace who must be replaced.’
“Guyanese will recall that it was this same Charles Ramson who offered himself up as a presidential candidate for Guyana. It must also be recalled that Ramson made racially charged, very troubling statements. For example, he said, (paraphrasing) ‘Young Guyanese have no role models.’ It is in the context of Mr. Ramson’s consistent racially insensitive statements and actions that we are of the view that the Minister has disqualified himself from holding any senior government portfolio, much less a Ministerial one.”
The protest centred on Ramson’s failure to acknowledge the gravity of the incident involving Thom. The GTUC and other critics believe that Ramson’s actions in the aftermath of the racial attack on Thom reveal a disregard for justice and racial equality, as well as a lack of empathy for those affected by such abuses.
The controversy surrounding Minister Ramson’s handling of the situation stems from an incident involving Thom at the Burrowes School of Art. In early September, Thom resigned from his post as the institution’s administrator after being racially abused by an individual who parked improperly at the school’s premises. Thom had approached the driver to inform him that the space was reserved for staff and students, but the driver responded with a series of racial slurs.
Following the confrontation, Thom was summoned to meet with Minister Ramson. However, instead of addressing the racist remarks or offering support, Ramson allegedly questioned Thom’s decision to confront the driver about the parking issue. According to Thom, the Minister seemed more concerned with the fact that Thom had taken matters into his own hands rather than investigating the racial slurs that had been directed at him.
This lack of support from Ramson led to Thom’s resignation the following day, as he felt that the Ministry of Culture, and by extension, the government, had failed to stand by him in the face of the racial abuse. His resignation caused an uproar, particularly among students of the Burrowes School of Art, who wrote an open letter condemning the incident and calling for justice for Thom.
However, after widespread public outcry, Thom reconsidered his resignation and agreed to return to his role at the school. Despite this, the incident remains unresolved, and Thom has yet to receive a formal apology or any official recognition of his resignation from the Ministry.
Thom’s return to the Burrowes School of Art has been viewed as a positive development, but questions remain about the Ministry’s initial and long-term response to the racial attack. Thom’s decision to resume his role has been praised by some members of the academic community as a testament to his dedication to his students and to the institution, despite the emotional toll the incident has taken on him. However, many are still concerned that the incident has not been fully addressed, and that the Ministry’s lack of action in response to the racial abuse reflects a broader issue of institutional indifference.
As the GTUC continues its protest, it remains clear that the demands for Minister Ramson’s removal are not just about one individual’s failure to apologise. They represent a broader call for accountability and a repudiation of behaviour that many see as undermining the principles of fairness, equality, and justice.
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