Protesters march on Saturday. (Photo from We Rise Bahamas Facebook page)
By RICARDO WELLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
rwells@tribunemedia.net
THE success of Saturday’s We Rise march against the Minnis administration’s “inaction” in office, proves many of the promises made by the government on the campaign trail have gone unfulfilled, according to one of the group’s lead organisers, Coderro Emanuel Armbrister.
Maintaining the organisation is apolitical of nature during an interview yesterday, Mr Armbrister said the group is not focused on challenging the Minnis administration, but rather, on holding the government to its promises.
However, a few well-known Progressive Liberal Party faces, including PLP Senator Fred Mitchell and Free Town candidate Wayne Munroe, QC, attended the march. At one point Mr Mitchell spoke to the crowd on Saturday and chastised Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis for leading a delegation to Atlanta, Georgia, while every day Bahamians were suffering.
Meanwhile, Mr Armbrister said yesterday the success of Saturday’s well-attended march, signals all Bahamians are listening and are prepared to stand up for what is right.
Scores of protesters marched from the Southern Recreation Grounds in Bain Town on Saturday evening. They waved placards, some of which read “Stop abuse of contract public officers,” “Minnis create jobs if you know how,” and “Minnis stop political firings.”
“This was a great start,” Mr Armbrister said. “Saturday was a good build up of momentum for our next step. We have to stand up because this government promised to look out for the small man all the way up to election and all we’ve gotten since then is moves for the rich man.
“The messages from the group are simple, they want to know where the commissioner of police is? They wanted to know how come schools are not ready even though this government has had 100 days.”
He continued: “They want to know how the government could go nearly 10 weeks without Parliament meeting, despite everything going on.
“Those that marched want to know what is the $720m the government borrowed two weeks into office is being used for. VAT was not removed off bread-basket items as promised, but washers, dryers and airplanes are getting breaks? How is that possible?”
Mr Armbrister said the Minnis administration presented itself as the party for the downtrodden and disenfranchised.
He said the government bragged and boasted of its policies based in transparency and accountability.
However, Mr Armbrister said to date, the public has seen very little come to fruition.
“The government promised immediate relief and comfort to the poor man. Do what you promised, is all we are asking. Take one step at a time and lighten our loads.
“We want to work along with the government, but we need to see some effort to fix the things promised,” he concluded.
Observers have noted several similarities between We Rise and its protest action, and the We March Bahamas group.
We March Bahamas gained prominence after more than 1,000 protesters marched from Arawak Cay to Rawson Square in November 2016 to demonstrate over the Christie administration’s performance. The group held several smaller protests after that.
The leader of that movement, Ranard Henfield, parlayed his success with the organisation into a Senate appointment by the Minnis administration earlier this year.
Some detractors have also labelled the new group as nothing more than the PLP’s attempt to rally its base in opposition to the government.
We Rise is being spearheaded by Alex Dorsett, alongside Mr Armbrister. The group is planning another event for October 6.
Comments
Future 7 years ago
PLP losers following democrat losers
Future 7 years ago
Yinna done lose. Sit ya ass down and wait till next election.
ohdrap4 7 years ago
We rise: Because sheet floats.
Truism 7 years ago
Yeah man. Why you'll figging with Henfield brand. All Senate and Statuary Board appointments nave already been made.
sheeprunner12 7 years ago
PLP gone for good ........... Time to move on from the crooked losers ........ WeRise will fizzle like a soda pop ........ Time to clean house, sit back and watch the Pingdomites devour their spawn ........ then lock up all of Perry's Cabinet crooks by Christmas ....... But Minnis has a hurricane to deal with right now.
DillyTree 7 years ago
No doubt half the nitwits there had no idea why they were there!
The PLP lost, Mr. Mitchell. Accept it and move on you deluded old cow.
We Rise ought to be going around the neighbourhoods helping people get ready for Hurricane Irma instead of wasting their energy on a fool's errand.
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years ago
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ThisIsOurs 7 years ago
It is weird that nothing seems to have changed. The latest shock is that "planning" is getting a bad name. I get Minnis' style is say little and work behind the scenes, but the signals we're getting with the ill suited people put into positions of trust, the dead people on the board, the back pedaling on carnival.... are just not good...I hope they address it, I hope Sebas doesn't have them in his back pocket. Support the FNM if that is your party, I still believe they were the only choice, but hold them to a high standard, Bahamas before party.
BahamasForBahamians 7 years ago
The problem is this country cannot be ran on hopes.
It is currently being ran on the actions of the Minnie administration, which at this time, has not made any significant change in this country.
momoyama 7 years ago
Those who expected better from this crew have only themselves to blame for having ignored all of the obvious signs of their mendacity (1. Stating that the Baha Mar deal was a Chinese giveaway when Ingraham, then Sarkis brought the Chinese into our economy;2. claiming they would 'sell Baha Mar when in office; 3. Pretending that we are a presidential republic and that 'term limits' on a PM and 'recall' of MPs are anything other than asinine buffoonery; 4. Hiding their leader from the media in the run up to the election, while claiming to represent 'transparency'; 5. claiming the much needed 'spy bill' was such a huge intrusion into our privacy while they did not even whisper about the US' interception of 100% of Bahamian mobile phone calls.)
How can anyone be surprised that they have now 1. confirmed Baha Mar is a good deal and should NOT be renegotiated; 2. NOT sold Baha Mar; 3. NOT attempted dumb and extremely harmful amendments to our constitution; 4. Continued to hide their leader, this time behind a hapless and confusing Press Secretary, whose job seems to be to avoid enlightenment; 5. Undertaken to reintroduce the 'spy bill'.
Man, Bahamians are so easily swung!
SP 7 years ago
Ultimately, the march was actually in support of Pillage Loot Plunder corruption and no Moody's downgrade!
Only complete brain dead tribal idiots would have been caught dead in this stupidity.
realfreethinker 7 years ago
The dead don't have as much salt as these plp losers. GET OVER IT. Y'all have been handed y'all asses
BahamasForBahamians 7 years ago
I think this March is too early however, if Minnis' current style of governance continues, as "mudda_sic" has suggested these marches will grow and probably continue through 2022.
Its like this new administration is intentionally flirting with unpopularity.
EasternGate 7 years ago
Fred "full-a-sh..t" Mitchel is like a pesky fly, at the slightest political aroma, his silly ass comes flying aroumd!
BahamasForBahamians 7 years ago
The only thing being spewed here is hate for the PLP.
Nothing objective about why Bahamians should not march against the Minnis' administration performance or lack there of.
Painfully similar to the way Perry embraced Ranard "sell my cause for a senate seat" Henfield's initiative. Its almost as if the FNM wants the same results.
tell_it_like_it_is 7 years ago
While I also don't see the point of this protest so early on and so far I don't have major problems with Minnis, I agree with you BahamasforBahamians. If someone says something against whatever is happening with the current administration, automatically bloggers here say that you're a PLP loser. I think at the end of the day voting for the FNM meant voting for change. We want a better Bahamas.
Consequently, if the current admin does crap it should be called out or we'll end up where the PLP left off. I also believe in calling out the garbage done by PLP as well- but I'm NOT a "blind" supporter of the FNM. (I actually hate the 2 party system and wish people would be voted in on their own merits - but doubt that would happen in my lifetime).
realfreethinker 7 years ago
What amazes me is we "educated" calling out the new government after "three" months in office. Bahamasfor Bahamians you may have had credibility had you been in this forum forum criticizing calling the previous gov. to task fall the condtion they brought this country to. Where did you expect the country to be post may 10th?
ThisIsOurs 7 years ago
Four months is more than enough time for a hurricane plan, "AT MINIMUM". I understand that just today they were calling around trying to figure out readiness. This is ridiculous. This is a hurricane. The easiest thing to plan for on their agenda. Of course what we actually encounter is something different but we know, "wind, rain, flooding, communications, power". We know this. Why are they just starting tree trimming. It amazes me that people are giving excuses for what are glaring lapses. I want them to do better. I will not be happy just because those "watless thievin PLP" are out of office and three men spent one night in jail.
You know what I expected, silly me? I expected in that first week for Dr Minnis to have a giant town hall style meeting to address the state of the country to announce the method they would use to get a full understanding of what was happening in every ministry, how long they thought it might take, when they would speak to us again, establish a mechanism for feedback in each constituency to gauge the needs of each. I expected an orderly approach to developing a plan. What I got was silence, weeks and weeks, and anger for asking the question. Then they went on vacation. Not what I expected. Then the financial secretary appt. this is extremely troubling.
TalRussell 7 years ago
Comrades! I have no clue who WE RISE is, or from whom or where their funding originates....although I have my own suspicions?
But with the likes red shirts regime we currently have in power - I do know that since they're not the kinds people to owns up their governing blunders, and with it being too politically risky to attack the intelligence of the May 10, 2017 General Election Voters - the red shirts politicians will be left with no other alternative than to take aim to blame something - and that something to follow will be the Media.
In fact, the two daily newspapers along with a growing number talk show hosts have done started to be wake-up to how badly inept this red shirts crown cabinet ministers are proving themselves out to be?
Will there be red shirts MP's crossing over to the opposition side of the House of Assembly to sit as Independents, or possibly as a newly formed political party....and let's not completely rule out a red shirts MP crossing the floor to lead the DNA as Bran's best before political days expired on May 10, 2017?
licks2 7 years ago
Hahahahahahahahahaha................................tal you expect us to believe that you don't know them peoples dem? How come everybody else know them is PLP and you don't know? You is slipping with them aye? Lol!
TalRussell 7 years ago
Comrade Licks2, I didn't see WE MARCH as being the groundwork for the kinds revolution I would have been prepared to support - and I feel the exact same way about the future prospects the WE RISE group...... But there may be room one more - being the WE MARCH senator's days up in the red chamber, is limited.
licks2 7 years ago
We rise will never rise above the crap done by the PLP. . .we see them as the faces of the "tiefers dem" who robbed the country along with Shane and them!!! The PLP is now toxic and anybody who is connected to them are anathema . . . and for the benefit of yall DNA s them around here. . .dumb purely political talks is anathema. . .THIS IS A NEW TIME. . .THE PEOPLES TIME. . .NO ROOM FOR PLP OR STUPID TALK!!! AND IF THE DNA INSIST IN "DOING POLITICS" AS USUAL AFTER DOC HAS ALREADY SET A NEW POLITICAL PARADIGM. . .THEY TOO WILL REMAIN IN THE POLITICAL WILDERNESS. . .WE THE PEOPLE EEN TAKING NO PRISONERS. . .COME WITH A PEOPLE'S TIME AGENDA OR CARRY YA TAILS HOME!! Lol!
proudloudandfnm 7 years ago
It's so obvious they are PLP... Why lie?
SP 7 years ago
Corruption is well accepted as by far the single biggest problem in the Bahamas. More people have been brought before the courts charged with corruption in 4 months than the previous 50 years!
That in itself is a monumental achievement by PM Sheriff Minnis administration that required a tremendous amount of work.
The matter of halting the spiral of Moody's downgrades in such a short period is without question phenominal.
What these loons were "marching" about is beyond comprehension. Where were they when Pillage Loot Plunder stupidity was destroying the country?
SP 7 years ago
Lao Tzu - "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step". Even the longest and most difficult ventures have a starting point.
PM Sheriff Minnis has made the first and by far the most difficult step imaginable by addressing corruption!
There can be no true forward movement until lurking pirates are eradicated. This "march" and all the opposition from both sidesPM Minnis prior to election 2017 were all reprisals by pirates.
Redirecting the countries trajectory with a 180-degree turn after decades of UBP, PLP and FNM collaborative corruption and mismanagement is a hulking job that first requires extensive research into what is "really what" and who must be held accountable.
I am confident PM Sheriff Minnis will prove when the House regains session, that he and his team hit the ground running!
sealice 7 years ago
WHAT MAKES THEM THINK THEY ARE RELEVANT?
licks2 7 years ago
We rise fell down on May 10. . .death by the people's hand at the polls. . .the group's leader is irrelevant and a pariah in the Bahamian social order. . .so "We fell on May 10th" may as well chill. . .we een on they run! Lol!
baldbeardedbahamian 7 years ago
SP is quoting from the second most translated book in the world. The first is the Christian Bible and the second is the Tao Te Ching, which predates the Bible by two or three thousand years. If SP would care to study this book of ancient wisdom beyond the first few verses, then he would come to the verse which states "When the People lose Morality then they take up drums and march in the streets. This is the situation in our post PLP Bahamas, we have lost the guidance of The Way, we have lost guidance of Virtues, we have even lost Morality, and so we march in the streets. Expect nothing good to result from such actions when engineered by selfishly motivated people. Am I saying fred Mitchell is selfish? A failed but still aspiring politician, selfish? It has certainly been the case in times gone by.
SP 7 years ago
@ baldbeardedbahamian..... It is nothing less than unbelievably stunning that you have suddenly found yourself at such great "lose" since May 10th game-changing elections, but you were perfectly grounded and at peace with massive corruption, political cronyism, unprecedented malfeasance, blatant piracy and absolutely no accountability to the people for decades!
One could only surmise that you and your "marching in the streets" companions were beneficiaries of piracy and corruption and are already longing for the days of Pillage, Loot, and Plunder!
You force several questions to the surface.
Exactly where did you and your "march in the streets" affiliates fit in? Was it with institutions behind entrenched corrupt practices in the country, insatiable greed? Or wanton corruption in every sphere – in government, in politics, in public administration, in religion, in traditional leadership, in the media?
Perhaps your "march in the streets" colleages were the "big boys" envolved at every level from top to bottom profiting from “highly padded” single-sourced contracts and unfairly awarded tenders and conflicts of interest deals by state officials who used their positions to promote friends, family and lovers and their private backdoor businesses.
Anyone associated with the "march in the streets" have clearly identified themselves with all that is wrong with our country, and are quite possibly the nucleus of the massive administrative apparatus it required to manage the wholesale corruption of our country.
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