Today the people of the Caribbean island of Turks and Caicos will stand up to British oppression and march against British rule. The marches will take place in the local islands of Providenciales and Grand Turk.
Thousands of islanders/Belongers are set to take to the streets today clad in red to march in an effort to expose the dictatorial tactics and abuse of the British government against the people.
In August 2009 the British government took direct rule of the peoples’ government in Turks and Caicos where they were to take temporary control pending new elections after the UK Foreign Affairs Committee accused former Premier Michael Misick of corruption (no charges have yet been laid and no trial is scheduled against Misick). The temporary rule condition has turned into a full-scale government takeover of the islands by the British, including the British government scrapping the islands’ constitution and installing a new constitution created by the British giving the themselves full power permanently.
Since the British takeover, the British have "cleaned house" of Turks and Caicos locals by removing all local government officials and replacing them with British officials. Land belonging to islanders have been illegally confiscated by the British, civil servants have been made "redundant", foreign residents are given voting rights in future elections thus disenfranchising islanders’ votes, the laws have been rewritten to favor the British agenda, and many more changes implemented without the vote of the people. The governor has scrapped all branches of government and runs the government and the special prosecution team without any separation of powers.
To answer to the two years of never ending abuse by the British, and casting aside the complaints of islanders, is today’s protest against the British regime. Groups such as, 1000 Youths For Justice (currently with 1400 members), The Civil Service Association, Turks and Caicos ministers and pastors have organized the event.
Thousands of Turks and Caicos Islanders, expatriates and foreign workers are set to stand behind the protest march along with all efforts to take back control of Turks and Caicos from British rule.
One local educated Turks and Caicos Islander commented, "The British should be exposed. If our people keep sitting down and letting things happen around us then we would have squandered all the hardship and hard work (of) our generations before us."