The Tribune

SAVE The Bays has welcomed Prime Minister Perry Christie’s warning over dangers of hostile public demonstrations, pointing out that its own members have been pleading for years for relief from aggressive and intimidating protests that have placed them in fear for their lives.

The embattled environmental group, which emphasised that the safety of its members remains under serious threat because of its public interest advocacy, said it agrees with Mr Christie that under certain circumstances, demonstrations can lead to violence and harm.

STB Legal Director Fred Smith said in a press release: “The difference is that while the We March movement of which the prime minister complains has already held two peaceful and well organised events, giving no indication whatsoever that there is anything to fear from their April 2 march, the members of STB have been subjected to open hostility and intimidation by masked aggressive men on several occasions, creating a real threat of violence and harm.

“Following this, individuals came forward to admit their part in (an alleged) plot to murder several STB members because we had challenged the activities of certain powerful foreign developers. All of this was ignored by the authorities and our repeated complaints to the police fell on deaf ears.

“Although we do not believe that the prime minister has anything to fear from the We March movement, it is our hope that his sudden realisation of what could happen when protests are organised from the outset with aggressive intentions in mind, will lead to some action by law enforcement against the perpetrators of these repeated malicious attacks against our members.”

Mr Smith added that members of Save The Bays continue to face serious and urgent threats from “unscrupulous developers and their agents as well as from corrupt elements within the government.”

“We sincerely hope we can now count on the prime minister to be an ally in our fight to bring an end to the kind of heinous public attacks they have faced over the last several years,” he said.

We March Bahamas will mount another protest on April 2. On Sunday, group spokesman Ranard Henfield said protestors would march from Scotiabank in Cable Beach and head towards the prime minister. Mr Christie’s home and office are both located in Cable Beach, and it was inferred that Mr Henfield meant the group would protest outside the prime minister’s residence. Mr Henfield has denied this.

This led Mr Christie to say the group’s “poor judgment” could “ignite something that they least expect to happen.”

Mr Henfield has since clarified that the group will march to the Office of the Prime Minister, and not to Mr Christie’s home.