GEORGETOWN – Members of the Guyana Police Force are being reminded that peaceful protest is a constitutional right and that officers must desist from using intimidation, unnecessary force or unlawful detention against citizens exercising that right.

Article 147 of the Constitution of Guyana expressly protects the freedom to assemble, associate and demonstrate peacefully. While police have a lawful responsibility to preserve order and prevent violence, that responsibility does not give officers unlimited authority to silence peaceful dissent or treat placard-bearing citizens as criminals.

Police ranks must also remember that they remain personally responsible for their conduct. An instruction from a superior does not automatically make an unlawful act lawful. Officers who assault, unlawfully arrest or deliberately violate the rights of citizens may ultimately be required to answer for their individual actions.