Protesters gathered at Rawson Square on Friday afternoon.
5.30pm: The full story about today's protest is now online HERE.
5.20pm: FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis and the leader of the DNA Branville McCartney gave their views on the march this afternoon.
Dr Hubert Minnis said: "I think the people have made it clear that they are tired, that they want honesty."
"They want accountability. They want integrity. They want transparency and fair play in all governments, full stop. Governments must realise and the politicians must realise that they are the employees and the people are the employers. You are accountable to the people and that's what's demonstrated here today that they want accountability.
"And I, too, am asking for the same thing. Even after we become government, transparency must be the order of the day. Accountability must be the order of the day. Fair play is the order of the day. And that's all the people are asking for and they deserve that.
"I think it sent a loud message to governments, all governments, and the message is loud and clear, that things must change."
DNA leader Branville McCartney said the government is “not working”:
"We want a better country.
"The government of the day is not working. Its not working for the Bahamian people. It's not working for the country as a whole. And I came to the memorial for the PLP. This is a memorial for the PLP. The last time something like this happened in this same sqaure was the BTC sale. A few months later, the FNM was out.
"I tell you a few months later, this government's going to be out. We cannot trust the PLP. The Bahamians are telling them they don't trust them and really the Prime Minister needs to ring that bell. We need a government that's accountable. We need a government that's transparent. We need a government that's going look out for the interests of Bahamians first and that's not happening.
"And that's why you see all of these people out here. These people are upset, they mad, they vex and they want this government to go!
"I noticed that the prime minister responded a long dissertation (but) again, we can't trust what the prime minister says.
"He's been lying to the Bahamian people since the beginning of his term. Everything, all major issues he's not been truthful on. So how do you expect to believe what he has to say six months before the elections. No. This government must go and this government must go quickly."
http://youtu.be/qoOYeHsDe0g3.50pm: This video (above) shows protesters singing in Rawson Square this afternoon.
3.45pm: This photo from Facebook (right) shows marching taking place in North Abaco today.
3.35pm: In today's A Comic's View column, Naughty says Bahamians gave more than enough good reasons to march today. You can read it HERE.
2.25pm: This Facebook post from The Bahamas Weekly gives an idea of the numbers taking part in today's protest.
http://youtu.be/y4W_8pqAGTs2.05pm: The video above shows the scene at Rawson Square as protesters are encouraged to “offer their solutions and ideas”.
1.55pm: In today's Tribune's lead story, Prime Minister Perry Christie told organisers of the “We March Bahamas” protest that he was “painfully aware” that the country has suffered tremendous setbacks - see full story HERE.
1.55pm: There are chants in Rawson Square of “Put Bahamians first!”.
1.50pm: The protesters have now reached Rawson Square - where they intend to stay until 1am tomorrow morning.
1.30pm: The We March Bahamas protest is underway and heading towards Rawson Square.
Reportedly Shane Gibson, Jerome Fitzgerald and Kenred Dorsett are all at the march wearing black.
1.25pm: In an audio clip, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mitchell has said that the demonstration had got "young PLPs in a tizzy" but insisted that the march won't change "diddly squat". See the full story HERE.
Comments
licks2 7 years, 4 months ago
The Bahamian have finally sent the "shot" across the bow of the SS PLP. . .ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
HarryWyckoff 7 years, 4 months ago
Absolutely atrocious coverage of a monumental event, Tribune.
Where are your interviews. Where are your on the ground journalists?
You had an opportunity to make REAL NEWS, not just regurgitate press releases, and you have FAILED.
Pathetic.
Economist 7 years, 4 months ago
What is significant is that so many Bahamians have come together. This could, I hope, be the beginning of a new awareness that we can stand up together for a better Bahamas.
A united population is a political force that must be listened to by wayward leaders.
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 4 months ago
Tribune reporters overheard Perry laughing while saying much less than 1,000 people bothered to participate in the Black Friday march. Nassau Guardian reporters overheard Mitchell laughing and saying that 20 times more people show up at your average PLP campaign rally. These are not good signs at all for the Bahamian people!
Voltaire 7 years, 4 months ago
True, but rally participants show up because they know there will be food, drinks and entertainment. It is significant that more than 1,000 Bahamians came together with zero inducement. Hopefully, it is a sign of bigger things to come.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago
The holograms of all sheeprunners are marching as well ........... we will march until every crooked PLP politician is vanquished at the polls next year
TalRussell 7 years, 4 months ago
Comrades! Now What? Today Friday we got to witness 463 peaceful and mostly hungry souls for constructive change marching on the streets of the capitla city to effect constructive change for Nassau Town and across The Bahamaand. An well organized protest calling for clearly defined change... but as in what change, I am not sure?
A protest equal in the outpouring of public frustration that also mistakenly believed that they too could effect change by answering talk show host Darold Miller's May, 2013 call to March For Equality. Darold left the frustration seat in the up position on his marchers.
banker 7 years, 4 months ago
Tal, you are a fawking liar. My image counting software shows 927 people just in this portion of the picture.
by banker
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 4 months ago
Can we please stop this silly practice of hanging the prime minister and minister's picture in every government building? We are not communist China or the socialist Soviet block. The leader's image doesn't have to be plastered everywhere
DDK 7 years, 4 months ago
Have often thought the same thing. It must be a psychological power tool.
Voltaire 7 years, 4 months ago
Absolutely spot on correct.
SP 7 years, 4 months ago
.............. PLP Never Expected Tribalistic Bahamians To Unite And Retaliate ..............
Their greatest misconception was their belief people would never unite across party lines, but they failed to acknowledge that people do not see any distinguishable "party lines" to cross as PLP and FNM have equally failed the electorate and the country at large.
Frederica Mitchell's little hissy tantrum, shows the PLP are totally stunned and shell shocked, caught in yet another "teachable moment" with nowhere to turn since march organizers refused to meet with idiot Christie!
History is repeating itself live in living color and they find themselves hard up against the wall with absolutely no recourse with general elections looming in just 6 months.
My prediction is the PLP and FNM cannot win 10 seats between them!
The PLP & FNM goose is cooked, baked, fried, boiled and stewed!
panamaguy 7 years, 3 months ago
The government thinks this will all blow over once everyone releases their anger. It has to ccontinue to get the Bahamas back on track. Government has to get out of the business of expanding government to give out cushy government jobs where no one works. It has to protect free enterprise and stop over-regulation just to justify their position and make them feel powerful.
For an example...SYSCO bought out BFS and now one foreign company, SYSCO, basically controls the majority of the food being imported into the Bahamas. They buy at a fraction of the cost but charge sometimes 400% more since they have no competition. The government has screwed the Bahamian farmer and consumer by allowing this and put many farmers out of business. I wonder to whose benefit was this transaction allowed. Names?
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