Turks and Caicos ‘people power’ for release from British rule

Caribbean Now reports that the Turks and Caicos islanders are in revolt over British rule.

Frustrated over their ruler’s (United Kingdom) failure to meet its own milestones in the trial of high-level island government officials accused of corruption, on Tuesday this week the protestors shut down the islands’ airport in Providenciales island in a ‘people power’ protest for democracy that closed off roads leading to the airport.

Radio stations were demanding elections and former Premier, Mr. Michael Misick, headed the protest with printed T-shirts and a banner. More than 100 people were reported to be involved in the protests and the island suffered various electrical disturbances which seem to be the result of electricity-carrying poles being set alight.  Some arrests were made after fighting broke out with the police and an American Airlines flight to the capital was terminated due to the disturbances.  According to Caribbean Now, protestors had shouted out: “We want our country back..it’s time for the Brits to go”

The Turks and Caicos Islands  (‘TCI’) are owned by the United Kingdom as a ‘British Overseas Territory‘. They make up two groups of Caribbean islands, the bigger Caicos Islands and its smaller counterpart,  Turks Islands. They are tourist resorts and offshore financial shelters. The islands cover around 170 square miles and are close to the Bahamas and around 647 miles on the east-southeast side of Miami, USA.  Their population is around 36,000 of which more than half live on Providenciales island  The islands’ capital is Cockburn Town which is on Grand Turk island.  The islands’ unrest started in August 2009, when the UK suspended the Turks and Caicos’ administration after claims of corruption.

[Caribbean Affairs Contributor]

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Tags: British Overseas Territories, Caribbean, Cockburn Town, Grand Turk Island, Michael Misick, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands, Turks and Caicos