An unruly mob stormed Bay Street, protesting the sale of BTC to Cable & Wireless, forcefully removing barricades the police had set up to block the crowd from entering Parliament Square.
Hundreds of protestors clashed with police in a heated demonstration against the sale of a majority stake in the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) to Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC).
The disorganised crowd was comprised of several different groups, including union members, political parties and citizen action groups. There were also many onlookers, who appeared to be downtown workers.
A strong showing by PLP party members prompted allegations that the PLP paid people to attend the protest.
Police estimate that the crowd may have reached over 800 people at its peak.
One woman was apparently injured after police in riot gear used batons in an attempt to control the increasingly violent mob.
A member of the Bahamas Communications and Public Officer’s Union (BCPOU) was arrested for allegedly attempting to assault Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest.
Police officers formed a human chain to keep the mob away from the House of Assembly, where the doors were locked to prevent disruptions to Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham’s budget address.
To their credit, several high-renking police officers bravely made their way into the crowd on a peace-keeping mission.
