Two dead in Guyana anti-gov’t protests

The CARICOM summit proceeds in Guyana, but the headlines out of Georgetown have more to do with events in the streets than in the conference centre. On Wednesday police fired on a group of demonstrators who broke into the presidential compound, killing two and wounding six. The small group of anti-government protesters broke away from a much larger peaceful march and crashed through the gates, injuring several security guards and intimidating a number of government employees. In the rioting that followed the shooting, two buildings were burned down and several other arson attempts were made. The march, timed to coincide with the opening of the CARICOM summit, was held to protest alleged racial discrimination by the government against Afro-Guyanese citizens. The ruling Peoples Progressive Party government is dominated by Guyanese of East Indian descent. Meanwhile, deliberations of the CARICOM leaders went on without interruption.