Organizers of the Walk Through Roseau event, which took place on Wednesday, say it has met its objective.
“And what we achieve today? What did we achieve today?” activist Athie Martin, one of the organizers, said while it was taking place. “We reminded ourselves that we have the power but we have to take a hold of it.”
The walk, dubbed “Walk for Peace, Prosperity and Freedom,” was organized by a group of individuals representing political parties, the private sector, religious and civil society organizations calling for good and accountable governance on the island.
It was held, despite warning police by chief Daniel Carbon that he had not heard of it and “no permission was requested and or granted for a walk, march or protest.”
Martin is of the belief that Dominicans can make change when they come together.
“We together can defy this government or any government,” he said. “We can make justice a reality by standing up for our rights, standing up for our obligation to protect our constitution and the law.”
He stated that the event gave participants a sense of upliftment.
“A sense that hope is alive, hope for change is alive, but also it only becomes hope if we stand up, if we don’t be afraid, if we agree to mobilize and if we are disciplined,” Martin said.
He pointed out that a formula was learnt from the walk that can lead to to change for Dominica.
“And that formula is that we the people must stand up, we the people must hope, we the people must continue to talk and most important, we the people must never allow anybody to disconnect us from the father,” he remarked. “There is no room in Dominica’s future prosperity for evil, for greed, for corruption, for mismanagement, for the abuse of children, for the abuse of the environment. There is no room in a new Dominica for those kinds of behavior. We have put ourselves at a different point but only us can move us beyond today.”
Opposition Leader, Lennox Linton, who also took part in the walk, said it showed “the willingness of the people of Dominica to stand for what is right and just and good about Dominica.”
