Where Oh Where Will The Marchers Be?

The city of Suva is on heightened security alert, with policemen doing more than their usual beats around the big smoke.

Bainimarama see's fit to assure the nation that he as the fox guarding the henhouse will keep 'em safe.

The totally illogical reasons for the heightened alerts blaming the US Embassy, blog sites etc are valuable fodder for entertainment.

The fact of the matter is that the "public march announcement" has poor ol Bainimarama's ticker doing more than the usual beats per minute.

Perhaps the police should round up the Souls to Jesus crew doing their thing on the foreshore in case would-be marchers are camping out there.

Whatever happens, the "paranoia much" nonsense has given the pro-democracy folks a look-see into the much visible achilles heel and therefore valuable ammunition to continue to send them scurrying after false scents until it wears the illegal and treasonous powers down towards giving way to space to allow us to take to the streets.

Prime Minister reassures nation
Friday, December 10, 2010

Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama has reassured the nation that its security remains intact.

Speaking with FBC News, Bainimarama says today’s cancellation of public marches around the country is just a precautionary measure and there is no need for people to panic.

Bainimarama says the US embassy has warned all its citizens in Fiji to refrain from taking part in public marches around the country today, which led to a lot of confusion among the Fiji people.

He says following this confusion caused by the warning issued by the US embassy, a precautionary measure had to be taken to cancel all public marches.

The warning from the US Embassy states that all its citizens must refrain from being part of any marches organized for today as associated protests may have an anti-government tone and it is possible that assembled groups may become unruly.

The Embassy also encouraged citizens to monitor media networks covering the event and remain vigilant in public places and near military installations in and around the greater Suva area.

It said demonstrations intended to be peaceful could turn confrontational with little or no warning.

Permanent secretary for information Sharon Smith-Johns says the cancellation of the annual Coalition of Human Rights march planned for today in Suva is unfortunate as the embassy based its warning on a blog site.

Smith-Johns says what was supposed to be a peaceful march in support of Human Rights Coalition, is now not happening all because the American Embassy decided to advise US citizens of the possibility of violence and unrest based on a blog site.

Report by: Dev Sachindra