On July 14, 1979, Father Bernard Darke, a Jesuit priest, was stabbed to death on Brickdam Road in broad daylight near the St Stanislaus College where he taught by a member of the House of Israel (still active and located in Alberttown). - *Photo description in last tweet*

Father Darke, who was a photographer with the Catholic Standard newspaper (still in circulation today), documented people, culture, and the political unrest at the time. Father Darke was beaten, and after trying to get up, he was subsequently stabbed in the back.

He died that day after being rushed to Georgetown hospital. "The House of Israel was a religious cult founded by David Hill (called Rabbi Washington), a former civil rights activist in the United States who had taken part in many protests and demonstrations.

There in the United States he was convicted of corporate blackmail and sentenced to twenty-five years in prison", according to the Commission of Inquiry report into the state-supported murder of Dr Walter Rodney.

On the day of his murder, the Working People's Alliance (WPA) held a protest against the Burnham-led PNC government outside the Georgetown Magistrates Court where leaders of the WPA "the arson three" were being charged for allegedly setting fire to

the Ministry of National Development and the Office of the General Secretary of the People's National Congress. It was believe these chargers were part of the broader suppression of opposition forces against Burnham's regime.

The Commission of Inquiry report further notes: "Machete wielding thugs were there intimidating and threatening the crowd. According to Donald Rodney [brother of Walter Rodney], the police stood by doing nothing to protect the citizens."

The House of Israel enjoyed a strong relationship with the then-PNC government and operated as an informal riot squad working in favour of the PNC. Joseph Hamilton (recently an MP for the opposition PPP/C) was also a member of the House of Israel and gave testimony to

the Rodney Commission of Inquiry. Hamilton testified that House of Israel members were so well-connected that they were practically above the law which also manifested in them being allowed to carry weapons openly and terrorise the citizens,

sometimes in the presence of the police. In Hamilton's own words to the Rodney Commission of Inquiry about his membership in the House of Israel, he would be transformed sometimes from training priest in the House of Israel to breaking up meetings and wielding a stick at

somebody's head-- "terrorising and beating people up." The Rodney COI report also documents that weapons were handed over from the Guyana Defense Force to the PNC government and those weapons ultimately landed in the hands of the House of Israel.

It was interesting to see the House of Israel advertising on the Guyana Chronicle website a few days ago. According to the Jesuits in Britain website: "Rabbi Washington later told the Catholic Standard that in the killing of Father Darke his men acted on the instructions

of the top member of the ruling party. He added that his men made the mistake of killing the wrong man. For their part in the matter, the Rabbi humbly asked forgiveness. It was given fully."

Photo in first tweet: Father Darke (on the far left) running from a member of the House of Israel wielding a knife on Brickdam Road. Other protesters ran as House of Israel members chased the crowd that followed the police vehicles carrying the "arson three."