By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

WE March Bahamas plans on staging 12 more “events and protests” throughout the Bahamas before the next general election, including candidates debates, and has launched a Go Fund Me page to raise $120,000 for these initiatives.

We March Bahamas lead organiser Ranard Henfield has been at odds with the government since his group staged a massive protest on November 25, 2016, where more than a thousand people marched from Arawak Cay to downtown Nassau.

A large group of protesters also occupied Rawson Square for 12 hours as part of the demonstration.

The group has held another march on Majority Rule Day, January 10, which conflicted with the PLP’s march to cerebrate the 50th anniversary of the historic day.

Progressive Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts and Mr Henfield have also exchanged harsh words.

Mr Henfield said We March still has a mission and will continue to “stay focused” despite “the tactics and anger of people that want to resist change.” He said We March will take its message to various islands throughout the country.

On the group’s Go Fund Me page, We March said: “The Bahamian people are suffering from political corruption, victimisation, a frightening crime culture and the most arrogant administration in our history. Our organisation, We March Bahamas, picked up the baton on November 25, 2016 and began raising the awareness of the general population while demanding that the government account to the people and be transparent in its dealings.

“Additionally, We March has been inspiring the general public to stand up for themselves, to pay closer attention to the course our country is headed, to get involved in national discussions and to put country over petty politics. While We March has been mostly funded by the founder, we’ve been fortunate to have supporters purchase shirts to assist in covering the costs of the marches and public education exercises. Unfortunately, our limited funding means that we aren’t able to reach a large portion of the population to raise their awareness on what’s truly going on with our country.

“Unless we raise their awareness, we as a country will continue to repeat the same mistakes while hoping for a different result. Please help us reach our goal of $120,000 so that we can host at least 12 more events prior to the elections from Grand Bahama in the north to Inagua in the south. We would like to print 100,000 detailed brochures on the national issues and point out the solutions in addition to hosting town hall meetings, marches on the various islands and candidate debates on these islands.”

After the demonstration on Majority Rule Day, Mr Henfield also confirmed the group had more protests planned but did not give a specific date out of concern that the government would seek to hold a competing event.

We March Bahamas has planned a debate between candidates in Abaco at the end of the month.