During the morning, many of the stores did not open fully. Only the entrances to the stores were opened and the heavy metal and woodwork barriers on show windows remained in place. Store owners or/and their employees kept a close eye out for more protesters who turned violent in a rampage Wednesday afternoon.

Yesterday afternoon most of the stores were locked tight and Regent Street was almost a ghost town.

Protesters set fire to the Payless Variety Store when they struck Wednesday. The building was completely burnt while not much was saved from the next door Fullworths Store.

What remained on the front half of the ground floor of the store was yesterday being taken away by employees at the bidding of Fullworths owner, Mr. Hardatt Persaud. What was saved was in no condition to be sold, but a good cleaning of the items would serve the employees well.

At his store yesterday, Mr. Persaud, in tears, was still shaking his head in disbelief at what happened to his store. It had stood there for the past 32 years.

Persaud estimated his losses at more than $100M and said his property and goods were tremendously underinsured.

"I don't know what I will do", he told the Chronicle.

His store next door, which kept clothes and haberdashery, was saved from the fire.

The newly opened Bounty Meat Centre was spared from the fire. However, minor damage was noticeable. During the day, workers were seen putting up plywood over the glass show windows of the store.

At the Courts store at Regent and Camp Streets, protective metal plates were placed across show windows. The store was nearly burned down Wednesday evening when protesters smashed one of the show windows and hurled an incendiary device into the store. The small fire was quickly put out.

At the Bourda Market, unlike Wednesday afternoon when almost all the stalls were locked up, a few opened up yesterday.

Around Stabroek Market, vendors were not out in their usual numbers.

On Main Street, the entire block where State House is located was restricted to vehicular traffic. State House is the official residence of President Bharrat Jagdeo.