Free shopping rumours create chaos

By GABRIEL FITO
WEWAK town was thrown into chaos yesterday morning after rumours circulated that there would be free shopping.People, mainly youths, wrestled with security guards to try to enter supermarkets and shops.
There was total confusion as all major shops and supermarkets in town closed out of fear of looting.
Police mobile squad personnel who were in the province, joined local police in preventing people from entering the shops.The rumour that shops would open and let people pick things for free started spreading around Wewak soon after Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare’s election victory was announced last Saturday.
The same thing happened during his election victory in 2007.
People tried to rush into shops but were stopped by police.
They returned yesterday morning and again tried to enter shops only to be turned away by police.
The shops remained closed in the morning and reopened at midday with armed policemen stationed outside.
Provincial police commander Supt Joe Poma could not be reached for comment.
Papindo supermarket manager Ruben Cabandugan, who recalled this similar incident in 2007, said he did not know why people kept on saying there was free shopping when nothing in the world was free.