BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - TENSIONS rose yesterday (Mar. 5) when a number of protesters who - according to reports - sought shelter at the doorstep of the St. Kitts Nevis Anguilla National Bank (SKNANB) after it began to rain, were asked to remove themselves from the property of the Bank.
Information reaching this publication suggests that the protesters - who are either members or supporters of the Unity Movement - assembled outside the Bank yesterday morning - as per the usual - calling for the 14-month-old Motion of No Confidence to be tabled quickly.
One of the protesters - Al Powell - explained to this media house that sometime after 8:00 a.m. after the rain began falling and shelter was sought, Chairman of the Board of the SKNANB came on the outside of the Bank and asked that the sheltering picketers remove themselves from the SKNANB’s property.
“It started to rain, a few people obviously...moved away for cover, some by the bank, some by the gallery of the bank, some by TDC etc. Kontender comes out, Lincoln Maynard and tells us we must move off the steps of the Bank. We are shareholders of the Bank, the majority of us. We are account holders, we do business with the Bank.”
Describing the interaction between Maynard and the picketers, Powell explained: “He came and of course, all the crowds gathered up and all the protesters came and they started to say ‘call the motion, call the motion. We have already told you that’s all we want. Call the Motion’. And after he started to say a few things, then people of course told him things...
“Do not bring politics into the bank Lincoln Maynard. We are here for one reason and one reason only; have the Speaker...come out and face the public, go into the House of Assembly and call the Motion of No Confidence and not one of us would be back in front of the Bank tomorrow.
Powell reiterated what Unity members have indicated during past days of protest which is that they have no issue with the Bank but rather with the Speaker the Hon. Curtis Martin who is an employee of the Bank.
Maynard - in an interview with WINNFM - however, explained that he did not attempt to prevent the picketers from seeking shelter at the Bank but indicated that he was merely instructing the protesters to move aside and allow customers of the institution to have free access to the Bank. He further explained that during and prior to this process, comments were hurled at him by the picketers.
“As I approached there were some people with pickets standing on the step of the Bank and they proceeded to shout at me as I passed to get into the Bank. I proceeded into the Bank to do my business then I came back out of the Bank because one of the security officers called me and told me there were protesters on the steps who were refusing to remove themselves so that customers could get into the Bank...
“I walked out onto the step as I was leaving and I told two gentlemen - Dr. Timothy Harris and Mr. Lindsay Grant - I asked them if they can just step aside so that customers and clients of the Bank can use the Bank properly and can get in and out of the Bank...
“Then they started to shout again the same refrain and I proceeded back into the Bank and about five minutes later, I walked out of the Bank and went about my business.”
Following a couple of hours of picketing early yesterday morning, SKNVibes understands that the protesters dispersed only to return at approximately 11:00 a.m. to continue the action.
