Stephano ‘Pakittow’ Biervliet, the organizer behind the protest that got out of hand in the Surinamese capital Paramaribo, reported to the police station on Saturday, where he was subsequently arrested. That reports the Surinamese site Waterfront. Biervliet had been untraceable since the disturbances last Friday. The riots started on Friday after a demonstration against President Chan Santokhi’s policies. The Surinamese parliament, among others, was stormed and shops were looted.
Earlier on Saturday, Biervliet released a statement on Facebook in which he indicated that he was not responsible for the riots in Paramaribo. According to him, a group of demonstrators he did not know went to the Surinamese parliament and things got out of hand there. In his statement, Biervliet says he thinks the rioters were in contact with each other, something that was also said on Saturday by the Surinamese Minister of Justice and Police Kenneth Amoksi.
Amoksi said according to news site Star news that the riots were “collective and simultaneous”. “It can only be concluded that it is planned,” said Amoksi. According to the minister, the police were not well prepared for the rioting and looting after the demonstration. Despite this, 128 people were arrested in the riots, 37 of whom are still detained.
To prevent new acts of violence, the center of Paramaribo will be closed in the coming days. Shops must remain closed and security is being increased around government buildings and banks. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has adjusted the travel advice for Suriname and advises travelers to avoid the center of Paramaribo in the near future.
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