By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
EQUALITY Bahamas has urged Prime Minister Philip Davis to stop police from harassing protesters during King Charles III’s visit, after Police Commissioner Shanta Knowles said the force “stands ready” to disrupt any activity that would negatively affect the royal tour.
The activist group said Bahamians were not loyal subjects and had no obligation to welcome “any coloniser with painted smiles or baskets of fruit”. It insisted Bahamians must not be silenced in their opposition “to oppressors and those who do their bidding,” and called any attempt to silence an independent people in favour of their colonisers “embarrassing”.
“The Progressive Liberal Party cannot both claim ownership of Independence and Majority Rule, leveraging it to maintain its base and win elections, and deny the right of the people to protest the unwelcome visit of the colonizer and the weak-kneed, permissive government allowing it,” the group said. It urged the government to use the visit as an opportunity to demand reparations.
Ms Knowles spoke at a press conference at Government House on Friday, where organisers gave an update on preparations but could not say how much the visit is expected to cost.
Asked about planned protests, she said police had received no application for any demonstration, and urged anyone planning one to follow proper protocol and apply for a permit. She said she believed the visit would be enjoyed by all and free from controversy.
“So please, those of you who wish to come out and to be a part of all of the celebration, we ask you to come out and show the world that we know how to behave and we know how to live in unity, in love with each other and with those who come to visit our country,” she said.
A Rastafari group led by Royal Ambassador High Priest Richmond McKinney, of the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress, plans to rally during the visit and present the King with a petition calling for an apology for slavery.
Priest McKinney told The Tribune last night that he had submitted a request to protest but had not received a response. He said he intended to meet with the commissioner today to seek clarification on her remarks.
He said the Rastafarian group had protested peacefully in the past and would still find a way to demonstrate when the King arrives.
"Our agitating and lobbying, we continually will be doing that, whether he's here or not. We always agitate for reparation and repatriation from a long timeb so this is nothing new."
The Bahamas National Reparations Committee has also criticised the visit, citing Britain’s historic oppression of Bahamians and their ancestors. It said the government should stop preparing the country for royal visits and leaving taxpayers to foot the bill.
Buckingham Palace has said the King will not issue a formal apology for slavery during the tour.
The government has yet to say what the visit will cost. Finance Minister Michael Halkitis said last month that agencies were still working out the figures. When Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, visited in 2022, the government said costs would be shared, with the royal household paying for travel and The Bahamas covering accommodation.
King Charles is due to arrive tomorrow. It will be his first visit to The Bahamas as monarch, and the start of a royal tour running until November 4.
Secretary to the Governor General Jack Thompson said the visit would showcase the country’s beauty, hospitality and cultural heritage. Organisers said months of preparation had gone into it and contingency plans were in place.
About 300 uniformed and plain-clothes officers will be deployed to secure events and routes. Motorists have been warned to expect diversions as the King travels around the capital, including through residential areas, with disruption to journeys to and from home and work.
“Our vision is that during his transit and during his routes, there will be officers placed at every junction and every artery to make sure that there is no traffic infractions, no hindrance in this transition,” said Superintendent Coran Jennings, head of the police traffic division.
Supt Jennings said special teams would secure and close each route at least 30 minutes before the royal party arrives.
“We ask the public once we bring out a press release to try to avoid those areas as much as possible,” he said, “and be patient because some of the diversions are very short, some of the closures are very short, just to allow the king to pass through that route.”
After arriving, the King will attend a youth rally at Clifford Park, where more than 300 students will showcase their talents. He last visited the park as Prince of Wales in 1973, for the country’s Independence celebrations.
On Wednesday, he will visit the Royal Bahamas Defence Force base, pay tribute at the HMBS Flamingo Memorial and visit Bonefish Pond National Park. He will then visit the Bahamas Boxing Academy before attending an event at Parliament Square featuring Junkanoo and other Bahamian culture.
He will also hold audiences at Government House with current and former governors general and Mr Davis. The visit will end with a garden reception.
Most events are closed to the public, but residents can attend tomorrow’s youth rally at Clifford Park at 4pm and a cultural festival on Bay Street on Thursday. About 5,000 students from public and private schools are expected to take part in activities linked to the visit.
The trip is part of an Autumn Tour celebrating communities, cultures and nature in the Commonwealth. The King will travel on to Guyana and then to Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.