Civil society activists mull constitutional case against police arrest during MV Barima vigil

Last Updated on Thursday, 23 July 2026, 22:09 by Denis Chabrol

Civil society activists–who were arrested Wednesday night as they were peacefully picketing at a government-organised vigil in solidarity with survivors of the several persons who died in the MV Barima ferry tragedy-are contemplating filing a constitutional case against the State.

Ms Sherlina Nageer, who was among those arrested at the Kingston Seawall, said legal advice was being sought before moving to the High Court. She said herself and other activists hope to send a strong message to the Guyana Police Force that law enforcement agents could not violate citizens’ constitutional rights in such a manner in the future. “The fact that they arrested us last night so even though there were no actual charges and they apologised or offered an apology, what’s to stop them from doing that again in the future to us, to other peaceful picketers,” she told Demerara Waves Online News.

If the group goes ahead with its lawsuit, Ms Nageer said its aim would be to ensure that the police could not arbitrarily arrest persons “or even to take us off of the scene.”

“We think this is a timely moment to remind the Guyana Police Force and those in authority, of Article 147 of the Constitution that guarantees all citizens of Guyana the right of assembly, association and demonstration: “no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his or her freedom of assembly, association and freedom to demonstrate peacefully”,” Ms Nageer, Salima Bacchus-Hinds, Susan Collymore, Romola Lucas, and Joy Marcus  said in a statement

Ms Nageer said a senior police officer of Division Region 4 A offered an “insincere” apology conditional on ‘if you think you deserve an apology’ that was not palatable to four of the activists. She said an apology was not the appropriate response for their wrongful arrest and detention  Wednesday night. “The assault and rights violation are like real, actual serious things and saying you’re ‘sorry and just get out of my office’, to me the scale is not balanced,” she said.

Ms Nageer said a statement in support of a complaint to the Guyana Police Force’s Office of Professional Responsibility would be dispatched to that body. She said they had already visited the OPR and “we were well-received there.”

The women said the police dropped all  charges and offered them an apology the day after our “arrest” and detention.

The said in their joint statement that the verbal harassment, physical abuse, and arbitrary detention of three peaceful protestors amounts to State overreach, abuse of power, and threatens the constitutional rights of all citizens.

Saying that they were not intimidated, the women called on all Guyanese to speak out against such abuse of power, to be mindful of all the ways, great and small, that Guyanese’ constitutional and human rights are being eroded by those at the top, and to join us in standing up for real and lasting accountability.

Recounting their experience, they said that on July 22, in an attempt to collectively support and show solidarity with those who had lost loved ones, they joined the vigil organized by the government at Kingston seawall. In support of their position that the tragedy was “completely preventable” they said they stood on the periphery of the event holding signs calling for the resignation and prosecution of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill. “Our small group of 5 women stood silently and quietly as prayers, songs, and dances were offered up, holding our signs and engaging respectfully with the few passersby who had questions or offered their support. At no time did we disrupt, harass, or hinder the access or view of anybody at the event. In fact, no one at the event said anything negative to us…,” they said.

An hour into the vigil, the women said they moved to stand behind the One Guyana sign on the seawall. At that point, they said several male and female police officers  accosted them and asked us to move from the location. They said they refused, knowing that it’s their constitutional right to assemble, protest peacefully, and demand accountability from our government officials. “We asked the officers to clarify which law we were breaking; they were unable to do so.,” they said.

The women said they soon decided to retreat from that area because they did not want to cause a scene and disturb the event proceedings. They said as they attempted to return to the peripheral area they had originally occupied, the police informed them that they were going to arrest them for “unlawful protest” and escalated the situation by forcibly assaulting and dragging one in their group, Sherlina Nageer, to the Brickdam police station currently located within the Eve Leary compound. Ms Lucas, Ms Bacchus-Hinds Ms Nageer were arrested by the police who informed them that they did not receive “permission to protest” and that they were in possession of “illegal signs.” They added that after an hour of being booked into the station, we were released on our own recognisance and instructed to return the next morning to meet with the Commander.

They reiterated their call for Mr Edghill to resign and be held accountable, for an independent and transparent investigation into the mass tragedy of the MV Barima, and for all those who contributed to this disaster to face the full brunt of the law.  They also demanded a total revamp of the public transportation systems, on both the coast and Interior, and  prioritise the safety, dignity, accessibility, and ease of all travellers. “Persons must not suffer and die because they are unable to afford a plane ticket, because systems lack oversight, protocols are ignored, stellings not built, and more modern ferries not commissioned in a timely manner.” they said.