New Governor: ‘My Hope That Calm Will Prevail’

December 7, 2016

“It remains my hope that calm will prevail and that all parties concerned will take constructive steps to resolve current differences in a peaceful fashion in line with Bermuda’s democratic tradition,” newly appointed Governor John Rankin said today.

Governor Rankin — who arrived on the island a few days ago — said, “I have spoken to the Commissioner and Acting Commissioner about the protests outside the House of Assembly and the police response to those protests.

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“They have assured me they are conducting investigations into what took place. There is an investigation underway into assaults on police officers where files are being prepared for charges to be brought.

“At the same time there is an investigation underway into complaints brought against police officers and these will be referred to the Police Complaints Authority.

“The Police Complaints Authority provides independent oversight of complaints against the police and can independently conduct investigations.

“Anyone who wishes to make a complaint can do so through the Professional Conduct Unit or on-line through the PCA website.

“The Commissioner has also undertaken to provide me with a briefing note about police public order response capabilities more generally, including where appropriate any resource or training needs which will assist the Bermuda Police Service in responding to any similar incidents in the future.

“It remains my hope that calm will prevail and that all parties concerned will take constructive steps to resolve current differences in a peaceful fashion in line with Bermuda’s democratic tradition.”

click here Bermuda protest on Dec 2nd

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Comments (29)

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  1. Wow says:

    Good, I hope those who assaulted the police are charged and punished. Time to show these law breakers that there’s no room in society for such behaviour and lack of respect.

    • I hope the police who assaulted the citizens are put under the scope of scrutiny, and the joker who authorized the riot squad and pepper spray be highlighted publicly and dealt with severely for such a poor judgement call.

      If the people were left alone to just stand all day and protest, they would have remained peaceful, but bringing force upon them, in a already heated atmosphere is dumb ass sense if anything, you don’t fight fire with fire.

      The police have a job to do along with our leaders, but so do the citizen’s of the Country, I wish many would have stood against some of the foolishness that did take place under the P.L.P administration, but we are now in 2016/2017, so move on and deal with the issues that are from the position of the past that has allowed us to be in the suffrage that we are in and the present that is heaping more upon the people.

      I don’t give a damn who is in power, when your wrong, your wrong, and the people are wrong if they don’t stand against that which is being done to us with the present airport deal.

      • Ty says:

        @ Duane – “If the people were left alone to just stand all day and protest, they would have remained peaceful, but bringing force upon them, in a already heated atmosphere is dumb ass sense if anything, you don’t fight fire with fire”.

        Let’s see how intelligent you are and see if you can pick out YOUR OWN mistake in the above sentence – quoted by you I might add.

        Answer:- Remained peaceful / Already heated atmosphere. Which is it.

        Oxymoron or just a moron.

  2. Say Whaat? says:

    I hope the police who injured many are held accountable!

    • Wow says:

      They wouldn’t have been injured if they had moved as they were told.

      • mixitup says:

        And we as a people wouldn’t be where we are today if your ‘Democratic Society’ had it’s way. We were once told we could’nt vote, or could’nt attend certain public establishments, or couldn’t sit in the front of the bus..get it yet?

        • Point boy says:

          That was all a long time ago. Way before I was born, and I’m not young.

          Would you prefer a Dictatorship?

          All the rights you say that where denied, where corrected through the Democratic process.

        • just wondering says:

          no – sorry I don’t get it – those days thank goodness are gone – and by the way since when did building an airport become a “race” issue???

      • Onion Juice says:

        Move so this Government can give away our airport so those who have special interest can line pockets while we loose revenue for 30 years?
        WTF

  3. Smh says:

    We want JUSTICE before CALM

  4. Kangoocar says:

    I am looking forward to charges being brought forward, those guilty of assualting police officers need to be held to account, after justice is served, job loss along with all accrued benefits need to be cancelled!!

  5. New Governor,

    Sir I hope the U.K Government and the O.B.A Government has prepared you for a rough ride ahead, you are entering Bermuda at a time of change on our Island shores, that the native’s have had enough of all the political wrangling and deceptive leadership, and we demand that the present Premier step down immediately.

    The best way forward from the look’s of the start of 2016 to present, is that we have a no confidence vote, and/or dissolve parliament altogether.

    The present Government is hell bent on saying that the people are acting out in a illegal manner, while on the other hand act’s of attacking people with pepper spray, and force from the riot squad, were several individual’s was effected greatly, including seniors that was using their democratic right to protest, is not acceptable.

    The argument from the government is that all gates to the session house was blocked by protester’s,which in itself could be argued, but if the people of Bermuda has spoken out in force against the airport deal, and the present leadership and administration has not listen or even come to the table of bargaining, what is the people left to do to be heard.

    All said and done, Britain may be the Mother land and the Governor may be her representative, but we the people are the majority, and we will not be ignored.
    We don’t need violence to be heard, and we don’t need threats to be hurled back and forth, we have a Democratic recourse that we can use and that we almost did use back in March, if we would have stay out on strike just a few more day’s, the then Governor of Bermuda would have had to step in and dissolve parliament.

    Just maybe this time we wont be so quick to just give up and but go the entire length and breath of what it take’s to really be heard and get the attention of not just this 4 square dot in the ocean, but the World, Including Great Britain.

    So Mr. Commander and Chief Welcome to our beautiful shores.

    • Onion Juice says:

      And we STILL have de Tweed issue in January to deal with.

    • Build a Better Bermuda says:

      I notice how you tackled only with the OBA’s deceptive leadership, but ignored the PLP’s. It is indeed deceptive to say the protest was one of the people, when it represented but a small few, even though there was a large number of union members who didn’t show up for work, halting transport and other operations. If they weren’t at work on the unions call, how come they didn’t show up to the HoA to support the blockade? The numbers there should have been far more than the representation that was there.
      There has been an increasing support for this deal, as more and more details have released, more and more that have read all available information have come to realize its advantage to us in the situation we find ourselves. Last poll there was showed more than 50% support, and it used an objective question, unlike the highly subjective question that illicted a 70% against response when this was first announced and there was little information to facilitate forming an informed opinion.
      Is it not accurate to say that as more information becomes available showing the falsities of the PLP’s deceptive narrative, that they are now resorting to emotive mob rule by their dwindling support, to derail reason debate.

    • Will says:

      It’s clear from that video the police were attacked first and deploying pepper spray was a reactionary force.

  6. NO MORE WAR says:

    Governor your words sound good but that’s all they are. The court system here is a joke and I seriously doubt any of the offenders if brought to justice will be given anything but a conditional discharge. I’ve seen offenders given conditional discharges and absolute discharges for assaulting and obstructing police officers. This is nothing more than a PR stunt by the Gov.

    If you want to make a difference while here make sure that when offenders are sentenced that for violent crimes and crimes of violence that noncourt can met out a conditional or absolute discharge.

    Also ensure that if a violent offender is given a prison sentence of 10 years he must do that time and not this foolishness of prison time isn’t the same as regular time.

  7. Legalgal says:

    Possibly unrelated to the article introducing the Governor, but viewing this footage for the first time. Those “riot police” are a joke. Many years of policing and these cops had all the gear vut no idea! They jsut get bounced back! Lord help us of they meet real resistance. Put up barriers early in the day, guard those to ensure free passage and stick to traffic control not riot policing!

    • Build a Better Bermuda says:

      Part of that was that they didn’t actually go there to be aggressive or take violent action. Their tactic was a more passive attempt to break the blockade, a test of waters more than a full aggressive attempt to break it. They could have actually gone in with a larger force, batons and more aggressive riot control weapons.

  8. Triangle Drifter says:

    Sorry Guv. You must have thought that you got off the plane for a nice peaceful few years in Bermuda. All you were going to have to do is put on that silly hat every once in awhile for the tourists.

    They love that British stuff BTW. To them it is what makes Bermuda special.

    WRONG! You stepped off the plane straight into a hornets nest.

  9. St. D says:

    While we have great sympathy for the protesters and police who were injured, they are but the symptoms, not the cause.

    Sir, I certainly hope you have gone through the process of examining last Friday, determining what should have been the plan of action in response to protesters blocking the house (which we all knew was bound to happen) vs. the ridiculous response that did occur and answer not just the question of why but what is the plan for next time.

  10. Riley says:

    I really think if the PLP win the next the election they will find the place ungovernable – because after this, people like me will have every intention of undermining them at every opportunity.

  11. Takbir Karriem Sharrieff says:

    I can not remain quiet in the face of the crap that is going on,First to qualify what I am going to say.I was on the Police Force at that time from 1963 to 1972.I attained the Rank of Sergeant.I was at the Belco site in 1977.On Duty in uniform.standing at the picket line.We were not in riot Gear.I was relieved along with other Police Officers,and was on my way off duty when I learned that Police in full Riot gear were sent to the site.,,,,,,,,,,someone ordered that.,,,,,,,,,someone was responsible for that,,,,passing the buck does not work.On December 2nd 2016 I was sitting at the Parliament House Gate as one of the Protestors.Because I am one of the Seniour Citizens,I am 73 years old.I was provided a chair to sit in.The Police were already in the Parliament House Grounds.No problem.Then I witnessed the Riot squad coming in on the crowd in full battle dress ,in other words Riot Gear.Someone ordered that.It was a peaceful assembly up to that point.It is no use passing the buck….the Police pressed themselves into an otherwise peaceful .,,,assembly..it was an uncalled ,abusive action ,and unmerited.Someone is responsible for that.Bermuda has to Investigate that.Peace.

  12. Bda/Brit says:

    I hope that they take a look at all the videos to see that the Police took it to a level that was not necessary. Bermuda has mad a subtle stand against what is wrong but we ALL need to take a stand as ONE. The government seems to forget that we are the ones who have put them in the house and if our house is not in Order then WE DON’T WANT THEM IN THERE. It’s not there House it’s OURS.. Stop the Lying and Deceiving of our People as you can see we are sick and tired of it. If you can’t resolve this there will be plenty more UNREST. Heed to what our people are telling you for we can and will shot BERMUDA down for a good minute and then how will you resolve these issues. Let’s continue our STAND Bermuda against this adversity… I’m so tired of being sick and tired. Our children are the one’s who will suffer. As a former Government worker we had to take a cut in our pay to assist in paying back the deficit you have created and even though we did not like it we did and this is how you are going to pay us back by stabbing us in the back and Give so much $$$$$’s away.. NONSENCE… FIX IT

  13. Y-Gurl says:

    Investigation on police assaults #1
    Assaults on the peaceful demonstrators #2 and it will be handled by the police….REALLY? the videos show the sequence of events

    We wouldn’t be talking about this had the police not taken the riot police route and start assaulting the peaceful demonstrators no one is perfect but most of us admit when we did the wrong thing, BPS just throws up false accusations to justify their actions, people struck out only when pushed down and sprayed with chemical spray, sad day in Bermuda indeed, what are they going to do next…draw firearms on us?