GEORGETOWN, Guyana | Three of five women’s rights activists who participated in a solidarity stand at the Georgetown Seawall on Tuesday evening were detained by police and taken to the Brickdam Police Station, where they say they were informed they would be charged with unlawful assembly.
The detained women have been identified as Shirlina Nageer, Salima Bacchus-Hinds, and Romola Lucas. The group had been displaying signs calling for accountability, including one that read, Accountability Now! Edghill Must Go To Jail!”
Speaking from the police station, one of the detainees said the women were told their signs were illegal and that they required permission to assemble.One detainee said the group had been standing peacefully for about an hour before police intervened.
“They came and did the usual protocol, took pictures, saw what we were doing, and left it alone. We walked and moved up to the seawall where other people were gathered. We were members of the public, and then they started saying it was an unlawful assembly.”
A bystander questioned the basis for the detention, adding “I’ve never heard of needing permission to stand up and have a protest.”
After a period of detention at the Brickdam Police Station, the women were released and told to report to the station in the morning. The circumstances surrounding the alleged unlawful assembly charge are expected to draw public attention as more details emerge.
**This is a developing story.**
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