Five years ago, on March 6, 2020, the West Coast Berbice community was torn apart by violent protests that left at least four schoolchildren and two police officers physically injured. Supporters of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) took to the streets to protest the disputed March 2, 2020 elections. However, their actions quickly escalated to an unprovoked attack on a school bus carrying children—an event that has left deep emotional scars on the victims to this day.
Among the injured was 14-year-old Orissa Noble, a student at Fort Wellington Secondary School, who was on the David-G School bus when it came under attack. Speaking to then Minister Simona Broomes, Noble recounted how she never expected to be caught in such violence and described the incident as one she “did not want to remember.” The unprovoked attack, which came out of nowhere, left the young girl traumatised and deeply shaken.
Moriah Jaque, another student on the bus, recalled hiding under the vehicle and fainting from fear. “We are innocent. No child in Guyana should go through this,” Jaque said, his voice trembling as he reflected on the terror he faced that day.
Reon Mobb, also from Fort Wellington Secondary School, was struck in the head by a glass or glass bottle during the attack. As he attempted to secure himself, he noticed the blood trickling down his face, and watched in horror as his classmates scrambled to hide under the bus for safety. “If they didn’t get under the seat to hide, so many things could have happened,” Mobb recalled, highlighting the sheer danger of the situation.
Other students aboard the bus, including Christopher Srikishun of Blairmont, Jaguar Philander of Ithaca Village, and Beyoncé Noble of Belladrum, were also injured.
Then Minister Broomes visited the homes of the children, expressing her outrage at the violence. “You have children… Why would you attack a bus carrying children? They should be ashamed,” she said, condemning the senseless brutality.
A traumatized teen, who resided at Belladrum with her grandmother, could not hold back the tears as she detailed the incident.
“While we were heading towards Bush Lot, an Indian guy, he pelted the bus back and the glass scraped my hands,” the student recalled. At the time, the 15-year-old student was sitting at the back of the bus with her colleagues. “The lady in the bus said everyone bend down, and put your bag over your head,” she further recalled.
The students of the Latchman Singh Primary School and Bush Lot Secondary School were sent home after the protest turned violent on the Bush Lot Public Road.
A similar incident took place at Bath, in which a David ‘G’ Bus transporting children came under siege.
The children were in the School Bus passing through the village when residents of Bush Lot Village started pelting objects towards the bus, shattered the windscreen, resulting the injuries to children.
The violence extended beyond the schoolchildren. Sergeant Punit Nauth Ibaran, a police officer from Blairmont Police Station, was also injured while attempting to quell the protests.
Ibaran was hospitalised at the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital for deva, after being attacked by the violent mob while performing his duties as a law enforcement officer. Ibaran requested a transfer following the attack.
Tissie Wallerson, a Riot Unit officer from Number 30 Village, West Coast Berbice, was also injured in the chaos. Wallerson suffered a severe foot injury while attempting to escape the PPP/C mob, underscoring the increasingly violent nature of the protests.
The violence did not stop at children and police officers. One nurse, traveling through the area in her car windshield was damaged, and was left to question, what has she done to deserve this brutality.
Now, five years later, the scars from that violent day are still deeply felt by those who were affected. In interviews with Village Voice News, persons from the affected communities spoke out about the trauma they continue to experience.
One resident, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, shared that they still struggle with feelings of anxiety and intense sweating whenever they are reminded of the violence. “We want society to know what happened to us,” the resident said, expressing their fear that their pain would be forgotten.
With the general and regional elections nea, the anxiety felt by these residents is only growing. Many fear that the violence of March 6, 2020, could repeat itself. One resident revealed that they continue to suffer from nightmares and waking up in a cold sweat, often screaming in their sleep. “I am consoled by my loved ones, but the fear never really leaves,” the resident admitted.
The deep emotional wounds inflicted on the victims, including children, police officers, and ordinary citizens, are still fresh
This attack, a violent and disturbing response to political unrest, left lasting scars on all those involved. It served as a grim reminder of the dangers of unchecked mob violence and the innocent lives that are often caught in the crossfire of political disputes.
The horrific events of March 6, 2020, continue to haunt those who lived through them, with the pain and trauma still fresh in their minds.