Protesters gathered at Rawson Square on Friday afternoon.
By RICARDO WELLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
rwells@tribunemedia.net
ORGANISERS of the “We March Bahamas” protest have promised to stage a similar event on Majority Rule Day if the government does not meet their demands.
Ranard Henfield, community activist and lead organiser of the massive protest, made the pledge as he spoke to protestors in Rawson Square on Friday night.
As he addressed the crowd, Mr Henfield laid out a laundry list of issues he said the government avoided addressing or dealt with in a slow fashion.
Spurring the crowd for more than 12 hours during a sit-in in Rawson Square, Mr Henfield criticised members of the current Christie administration and other successive governments for ineffectiveness in managing the country’s affairs.
Mr Henfield insisted that if protestors’ demands were not met in the coming weeks, they would again march to the House of Assembly on January 9, 2017, and demand Parliament dissolve immediately and move the country into an election cycle.
“They have a few weeks to address our demands or we will return. They will not rest until we get what we want from them,” declared Mr Henfield to resounding applause shortly after 9pm in Rawson Square.
Last night, Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts urged the protestors to meet with Prime Minister Perry Christie.
“On behalf of the PLP, I thank the organisers for their letter to the government, for exercising their democratic rights and freedom of expression and in so doing, present a further opportunity for constructive engagement and honest dialogue with the government on its going programmes, policy initiatives and legislative agenda,” Mr Roberts said.
“I urge the organisers to meet with Prime Minister Christie to discuss these issues in great detail in the interest of democracy. I am confident that their expressed concerns have either been addressed by the Christie administration, are being addressed in the form of pending legislation or are being addressed via the National Development Plan (NDP). I urge the organisers to actively participate in the National Development Plan that is a blueprint for the country’s path to sustainable development over the next 25 years.
“Access to affordable and quality healthcare; education reform with the bipartisan VISION 2030; and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) are in the advance stages of development and execution. As for Value Added Tax, the record clearly shows that to date the Christie government has significantly reduced the budget deficit from the more than $500 million the government was forced to borrow in 2012 based on the fiscal state of affairs it inherited from the FNM. The Christie government has steadily reduced that level of borrowing and Value Added Tax has contributed significantly to this achievement.
“These are just some of the reasons why an open and honest dialogue between the government and the organisers is so important; it will clarify much of the misinformation in the public domain.”
Mr Roberts added that “constructive engagement in good faith” is the only “rational” way forward for the organisers of the protest if they are “serious and sincere”.
Last Thursday, Mr Christie released a statement inviting protest organisers to meet with him to discuss their issues. On Friday, Mr Henfield said he had no interest in meeting the nation’s leader at the “ninth hour” but would meet once Mr Christie has tabled the legislation the protestors have demanded.
Ripples
The march has sent ripples through the political community, with many in opposition forces seeing the protest as the start of a necessary revolution.
Free National Movement Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest called the protest an “excellent patriotic and democratic call for action”.
The East Grand Bahama MP said under the current PLP administration, the Bahamas has seen a further deterioration of its systems of government, marked by excess and arrogance, which has resulted in millions of dollars wasted and unaccounted for.
“Many of us feel that we are at a tipping point in this country where our basic values are under assault from crime and joblessness resulting in a breakdown in society,” Mr Turnquest said.
“Our middle class, the backbone of any democratic society is under serious pressure and we have seemingly yet to respond to the threats though we have seen them coming for years,” Mr Turnquest added.
“It is time for a more participatory citizenry and so I welcome the open display of dissatisfaction or satisfaction for that matter of our various public and private systems. We can do better and we must lest we find ourselves in a very polarised society of ‘haves and have nots.’”
Comments
sealice 7 years, 11 months ago
Bradly as long as you are in the ruling party it's scientifically and theoretically impossible for there to be any " honest dialogue with the government" so just roll out like da man says and you won't go to jail
watcher 7 years, 11 months ago
In my humble opinion, the leaders of the protest have made a bit of a tactical error. By making demands, which cannot reasonably and practically be met within such a short timeframe, they have perhaps opened themselves up to a loss of favourable public opinion. Christie and his lapdogs will be more than happy to meet the leaders, obviously with a full press corp in attendance, all smiling, all joking, and then we won't hear a peep until next March or April (because of Christmas, New Year, Chinese Junkanoo etc) . The best way, I think, would have been to hand in the demands, and wait for a response from Government......the deafening tick-tock of the Election Day clock would have made Christie spout his usual nonsense, Frederica would have reminded us that diddly squat would ever change as long as the PLP is in power, Miller would continue to be an idiot whenever he opened his mouth, and in May next year we could all have used our votes accordingly.
jackbnimble 7 years, 11 months ago
watcher is it just me or did the PM and his cronies pass a Stem Cell Bill for Nygard within six months of being elected to office and did they not also pass a Gaming Act for their Number Boys financial backers? I would continue but I'm sure you get my drift. 30 days to meet demands- the foremost of which is a Freedom of Information Act to expose their wickedness is not too much to ask for. After all we, the people, are the employers of this Government.
If you can table Bills in Parliament for your cronies, what's to stop you from fast-tracking a Bill for your real bosses, the people who elected you? But that's just my 5 cents,
Honestman 7 years, 11 months ago
The PLP are running scared. People worldwide are on the march against governments that do not listen to the electorate The PLP has numerous challenges in persuading Bahamians to vote for them again:
Basically the Chinese and Web shop sponsored PLP needs to go NOW. In true PLP fashion, however, they will cling to power until the last moment. There are still six months of asset stripping to be done and they will take full advantage of this in the knowledge that they are never coming back. The people's anger will manifest itself at the ballot box next May. You can be sure of that!
TalRussell 7 years, 11 months ago
Of course we the "ORANGE FRIDAY:will protest again!
Comrades! While it's emotionally democratic to want to support the Black Friday March, still when it's organizers are talking about not willing to take it anymore from the established t-shirt colours of both the PLP & Red Movement political parties, and inclusive of their equally negative contempt toward the DNA's green colour.....these are the same people who what is the first thing they did on Black Friday.....show up to protest wearing all black with the introduction of the colour orange....what many should have the common sense to recognize as the true color of orange wearing t -shirts come the 2017 General.
Good luck to the Red Movement and the DNA if they think it's only the PLP the Black Friday Protestors are targeting and that they as a fringe political party can continue to ignore the approaching new t-shirt color of ORANGE, come the 2017 General.
Comrades, all ordinary Church going Bahamalanders, should start paying closer biblical attention concerns to the politically twisted meaning behind the words of the organizers over the coming days, weeks and months, before you play political footsie with the colour ORANGE.
BahamaPundit 7 years, 11 months ago
I'm 100% behind this movement. Thank God. We may prevent this country from failure.
realfreethinker 7 years, 11 months ago
I just hope it's not too late
TalRussell 7 years, 11 months ago
Comrades! The presence of Minnis, The Pot cake, Jerome, House Speaker Kendal, Shane and the DNA's Bran was a convenient attempt by these politicians to use the "Orange Movement" protest as a cover for their own political failings.
I mean there on the streets were none other than the red's leader Minnis, obediently following a fringe de facto leader who was once hired then fired as his red senator - all the way down Bay Street and into Rawson Square.
Likes I keep saying. Why even bother with having to make this stuff up.
Alex_Charles 7 years, 11 months ago
I marched as well, and will march again if needed
Seaman 7 years, 11 months ago
March on Bahama land.......... Let's vote these crooks out.
OMG 7 years, 11 months ago
Maybe they could start by thoroughly investigating how and who stole the huge amount of cash from road traffic , then cease to give contracts to PLP cronies including drug dealers . But as has been said they will delude the simple minded by spending vast sums in the run up to the election to keep their jobs. Interesting that they say they have reduced borrowing using VAT yet even an average person knows that reduced spending is also necessary if the books are to balance.
TalRussell 7 years, 11 months ago
http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2016…
SP 7 years, 11 months ago
..................................................... 'We Will March Again' ................................................
Too late for PM Christie and his crew of fat pirates. No more talk! 4 years of talk is enough!
Bahamians want the PLP G-O-N-E & B-U-R-I-E-D....DEEP!
The_Oracle 7 years, 11 months ago
First, one name does not a movement make. For this to succeed Dozens of Bahamians should be speaking via coordinated, persistent efforts. A single name/point person amounts to personal rule, same crap that has us where we are. Do not under any circumstances meet with ANY existing Political or Government people or Politicians. They will own you from that meeting forward. Force them to address you via public forums. Maintain focus and maintain the trust of the people. They will panic, they will insult, they will definitely threaten. They may even follow through with whatever they threaten. Remember, you threaten their way of life, their personal power, their source of income. The treasury. You may well change something, if you stay away from their rules, their field, their game.
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 11 months ago
This is great news for the country. But uncomfortable with the prominence that John Bostwick has suddenly taken in all of this. He's been shopping around for anyone who would allow him a seat in Parliament, first the FNM, then the Peoples Movement, then he was independent, now he's latched on to this. That pattern makes me extremely uneasy about his real objectives.
He uses the line that he's "appealing his conviction", almost as if the fact that he's appealing means he's innocent. He threw every explanation of why the ammunition wasn't his at the court, and the court very clearly and succinctly said, none of that makes any sense, the maid did it too? But even that aside, his willingness to blame the offense on anyone and everyone else and his persistent grab at power is very disturbing.
These guys don't understand that your past DOES follow you. Just because you "paid your time" as Carlos Lamb said, it does not mean the slate is wiped clean. There are some choices you make that you pay for for the rest of your life, drug convictions, murder, rape, stealing, pedaphilia, gun running are some of them. So don't tell us it's "unfair" if you committed the crime. John Bostwick has a lot of great ideas and he has a lot to offer the country, unfortunately he has to make his contribution outside of Parliament. If he's allowed a post why can't Carlos Lamb and Kofe Goodman (should he be released) have a post too? Don't set that precedent.
Alex_Charles 7 years, 11 months ago
Bostwick is nothing but a shameless opportunist that with prostitute what's left of his name for a shot at office. I don't dislike the man's ideas, but like you I am weary of his intentions and I have seen a little behind the scenes to make me have an unfavorable view of his political aspirations.
jackbnimble 7 years, 11 months ago
I agree. I think its the one black mark on the whole movement. Why is a convict at the forefront. Henfield needs to watch who he associates with. Bostwick strikes me as being a opportunist.
TalRussell 7 years, 11 months ago
Comrades ThisIsOurs & Alex Charles, you two can't be fence sitters - either you stick with your vocal support for the Black Friday Protest, or you recognize it for what it was and is? What do you think has now changed?
The organizes never kept the names of its chief organizers hidden from the public, so why only now you two are pulling a Trump supporter tactic of, don't worry about who Trump really is cause once he's president of the USA, The Donald will do just fine.
I'm sorry, but that's not the regressive old colonial style banner of which any of us Bahamalanders, should be marching into 2017 to 2022 under.
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 11 months ago
Please. Side eyes. The march was a "wonderful display of democracy"
Seaman 7 years, 11 months ago
Don't worry about the one bad apple,,,, Bostwick. Lets look at all the good people who are marching. My friends a revolution has started. Good bye PLP. Thank you Jesus.
Seaman 7 years, 11 months ago
Mr Henfield .... Do not meet with the PM. Remember the story of the spider and the fly. The PLP's are full of would be magicians and sorcerers. They will make you turn away from what you believe, by promising you great things. Remember what Dr King was able to do. March on Brother.
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