Civil society groups in Babonneau held a peace march on Saturday in response to recent homicides in the community.
The community’s 23-year-old Dante St. Ange, 63-year-old Abraham Charles Rose, 38-year-old Devon Maximin, and 17-year-old Alva Cole, all violently lost their lives within the last nine months.
The Babonneau Youth Synergy was among the organisers of Saturday’s peace march.
Its President, Aldric Edward, told St. Lucia Times that residents are fearful due to the surge in crime and violence in Babonneau.
Edward disclosed that the situation is affecting livelihoods.
“Shops are closing. When you are supposed to be out making money as early as three, four in the afternoon, we have shops being closed,” the Babonneau Youth Synergy President noted.
He recalled that Saturday’s turnout could have been better but sent a powerful message.
Edward felt fear may have kept some people away.
“We sent invitation letters to a lot of the organisations and some of the feedback was that persons were afraid that something would have happened. But we made sure we told them that police officers were on board and would be present,” he told St. Lucia Times.
Edward said the peace march, which received support from Babonneau MP Dr. Virginia Albert-Poyotte, RISE Saint Lucia Inc. Chairman Dr. Venus Cherry and the church, among others, was part of a planned series of activities.
The activities will include self-development initiatives, job training, counseling and mentorship programmes for vulnerable individuals.
“The objective of the march was to bring some form of awareness to the perpetrators (of crime), to let them know that the community is not satisfied, not happy with what they are doing and they need to put a stop to it,” Edward explained.
