The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

WE March Bahamas lead organiser Ranard Henfield yesterday moved to clarify public misconceptions over his group’s plans to march next month, now emphatically stating that the group has no intention to protest at the home of Prime Minister Perry Christie.

In a letter addressed to the Centreville MP and later published to Facebook, Mr Henfield laid blame for the misunderstanding on the media, suggesting that a quest for sensational coverage and emotional stories refocused the point of his initial comments to the press on Sunday.

In the letter dated March 22, Mr Henfield said he was “astounded and perturbed” by newspaper articles that attributed a warning from Mr Christie to We March that its actions could “ignite something that they least expect to happen.”

Mr Henfield insisted that he nor members of his group ever intended to march to the home of Prime Minister Christie or orchestrate a public campaign that would encourage personal attacks on his family.

“In my short stint in the public’s eyes, I’ve learnt to clarify major misinformation and misunderstandings before they spiral unnecessarily and quite unintendedly into something that they are not,” stated Mr Henfield.

“Direct from the horse’s mouth, I wish to relay to you and the office that you represent that We March has no intention whatsoever to march to your residence or as the article attributes to yourself, ‘inviting a section of the public, unhappy with his administration and its policies, to speak of him and members of his family in a way that would cause large-scale confrontations between them and his supporters.’”

The Tribune on Monday reported that We March had opted to move its third march forward by a week, April 9 to April 2, with ongoing issues facing the New Providence Landfill becoming the focal point of the protest.

That report made no mention of a time or route for the planned march. However, other media outlets reported that We March had intentions to march from Scotia Bank in Cable Beach.

Mr Henfield told The Guardian on Sunday: “We are marching to the prime minister.”

Mr Christie’s office and home are both located in Cable Beach, however the newspaper said it was not clear where the group intended to march.

On Tuesday, The Tribune reported that with We March finalising plans for its third protest, one that would reportedly see the group make stops at his home and office, Prime Minister Perry Christie had warned that the organisation’s “poor judgment” could “ignite something that they least expect to happen”.

It was not clarified in that report that Mr Henfield had not directly said his group would march to the home of Mr Christie.

In response Wednesday, Mr Henfield said the true nature of We March has always been to “raise awareness of the plight of tens of thousands of Bahamians and to inspire them to show up, stand up and speak up for themselves rather than endure their respective despair in silence.”

Mr Henfield added: “You (Mr Christie) and I both can agree that our people have laid dormant for a very ling time, mumbling amongst themselves and relying on the opposition party of the day to voice their concerns.

“This in no way, regardless of any (sensational) headline to the contrary, encourages those thousands of Bahamian that have found their voice to speak of yourself, any member of your family or party in a way that can cause any level of confrontations.

“We have all seen the videos circulating social media of many party supporters arguing in the streets and I’m sure that every right thinking Bahamian is disheartened by these incidents. I do not wish to see you and I involved in a back and forth over whether Bahamians finding their voice is igniting something.

“We should both be encouraging our people to embrace our democracy and express themselves peacefully, respectfully and in decency and in decency and order.

“Seemingly as We March has gotten your attention, I wish to express to you directly that our procession on April 2 - from the vicinity of the Scotiabank parking lot to the vicinity of the Office of the PM, and back to the parking area from which we will originate.

“In your previous correspondence to me, you indicated that you know too well the plights of our people in these unprecedented times. I implore you to do something about them in the coming weeks.

He continued: “Knowledge of the fact that there are thousands of Bahamians unemployed, thousands of young people being murdered or thousands of Bahamians in fear of this administration is not enough.”

Mr Henfield said We March intends to march in an effort to attract attention for urgent compensation to the residents affected by the dump fire; the postponement of the “unprofitable” Junkanoo Carnival festival; the outright cancellation of the “intrusive” Interception of Communications Bill; the announcement of an election date; the unsealing and realise of the Baha Mar deal and the implementation of Commissioner Ellison Greenslade’s crime fighting strategy.

In February, We March announced that it planned to stage 12 more “events and protests” throughout the Bahamas before the next general election.

At that time, Mr Henfield said the group was still on a mission and would continue to “stay focused” despite “the tactics and anger of people that want to resist change”.