Twenty persons, including sugar workers, were on Tuesday slapped with a slew of charges over a protest held on Monday at East Canje, Berbice.
Those charged are: Kheron Bisoondyal, Fizal Kowlessar, Roopnarine Sukha, Lance Bostswain, Mohan Premchand, Joseph Mc Pherson, Narinedatt Khemraj, Satesh Jagnarine, Marlon Durant, Dennis Kippy, Shawn Bess, Nigel Gangadin, Damon Jagnarine, Khemraj Balkarran, Satesh Sanichara, Lance Boason, Ratan Singh and George Southwell.
Two labourers, Waquar Baksh, and Bhojnarine Ramkisson, were also charged.
The two men were hauled before Magistrate Renita Singh at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court.
The men were charged with malicious damage to property and released on $20,000 bail, while for the charge of acts of terrorism, they were granted $30,000 bail.
For the unlawful assembly, they were all placed on self-bail. They also secured $10,000 bail for obstruction of traffic.
The defendants were represented by Attorneys-at-Law Khemraj Ramjattan, Roysdale Forde, Darren Wade and Charlyn Artiga.
They pleaded not guilty to the summary charge and were not required to plea for the indictable offences. The matter was adjourned to October 16, 2023, for report.
Over the last two weeks, cane cutters attached to the Blairmont and Albion Sugar Estates have been taking the streets, protesting the decision to transfer them to the Rose Hall, which is slated for a grand reopening on September 23.
They were told that the transfer was optional, but the workers went on strike, demanding a severance package before going to Rose Hall, where they previously worked prior to its closure in 2017.
However, things took a different turn on Monday after protestors began blocking the East Canje road.
