Photos posted to social media with hashtag #RABL (Credits L-R: Kayak Wolf Albury, Studio Ohana, Margot Bethel)
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Nassau, New Providence - A peaceful protest took place on Sunday, April 10th to bring awareness to the Nassau landfill fires which flared up in late March. Starting at 4pm at Baha Mar Boulevard, the march continued to the Melia round-about, and then looped back. Approximately 1500 people participated, all of varying ages, and backgrounds. It took place around the same time the Inter-American Development Bank was wrapping up its annual general meetings at the Baha Mar Convention Center.
The protest was organized by RABL (Raising Awareness Bahamas Landfill), "an apolitical group formed in 2012 with the vision of a cleaner,
sustained and integrated waste management in The Bahama," and protesters were asked to dress in black and wear medical masks.
"This protest is to allow Bahamians of all political, ethnic and economic backgrounds to express their frustrations and keep up the public pressure to demand change and improvement," said RABL's guidelines for the protest.
"This protest is not for or against any political party. It is simply to demand more of the current administration because presently they are responsible for the dump and other environmental health policies. We do not accept their silence and seeming lack of interest for the general health and welfare of the Bahamian people. RABL will apply the same pressure, if not more, to any future administrations regardless of who they are. Our supporters represent all parties - they wear all colours on election day. But on this day, we will stand united with one colour, with one voice, shoulder to shoulder."
Minister of Environment and Housing Kenred Dorsett said in a statement that the situation at the dump remains a top priority for government and noted that the government has saved $6 million since turning management over to the company, Renew Bahamas.
Photos posted to social media with hashtag #RABL taken by Llakel Dee
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"Environmental protection is a priority for the Ministry throughout the Archipelago. In order to protect our environment, it is important that all citizens be aware of the measures one can take as an individual to help keep our Bahamas clean, green and pristine. We are conscious of the fact that advancing a recycling culture will not happen overnight, and we are committed to developing a long term public education strategy to encourage Bahamians to reduce, reuse and recycle," said Dorsett.
“I am concerned about the people most affected: the elderly, the children and the sick," Dr Arlington Lightbourn told The Tribune in a March 31st article. "These are the people who are going to have the greatest impact. Repeated exposure to this smoke, which we don’t know what the contents are — [possible] carcinogens and heavy metals — there is no doubt in my mind that these people are going to have some long-term health issues.”
In January 2015, another large dump fire broke out, and in April 2015 (almost one
year ago) RABL held the "Breath Better Bahamas" demonstration in Rawson
Square.
Photos posted to social media with hashtag #RABL (Credits top: Ted Forbes, Llakel Dee / Bottom: Llakel Dee )
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