Social activist Glenn Fubler has called on the community to heed lessons from the protests and riots of 1977.

Tensions exposed by a police crackdown on demonstrators outside Parliament have reverberated in the community, ranging from formal complaints against police to an irate defendant condemning the island’s “racist administration” in court.

“We are all called to reflect on how we come to the table,” Mr Fubler told The Royal Gazette.

“Do we trust ourselves or not? Do we seek to polarise or aim to strengthen our community?

“Regardless of our differences, together we have the capacity to not only survive, but to thrive. Let’s engage with each other with trust in ourselves.”

Both the ruling One Bermuda Alliance and the Progressive Labour Party reacted with shock to the aggressive tactics deployed on Friday, as protesters opposing the airport redevelopment blocked Parliament, preventing legislators from entering.

Parliament was deferred until this Friday, although The Royal Gazette understands it remains undecided whether the legislation will go ahead then.

The clash occurred on the 39th anniversary of the onset of Bermuda’s worst riots, fuelled by racial unrest, and the anger in its wake manifested in several incidents:

• Passengers on a Sunday night WestJet flight from Los Angeles were left in shock after an intoxicated traveller launched a tirade over the pepper spraying of demonstrators — with invective continuing through LF Wade International Airport including threats to use guns against Parliament and kill white people;

• A protester charged in Magistrates’ Court with assaulting a police officer at the demonstrations angrily denounced the Bermuda Government as racist — declaring he would topple “this colonial system”;

• A group led by Chris Furbert, president of the Bermuda Industrial Union, formally took complaints over excessive force to the Hamilton Police Station;

• Seniors’ advocates Age Concern backed a call from Michael Dunkley, the Premier, for an investigation into the spraying of protesters, which included seniors.

Police have been armed with Captor pepper spray since January 2006, in response to “serious and immediate risk” — a move undertaken after rising assaults on officers.

Police Support Units, colloquially known as riot squads, were first implemented in 2001 — and used against protesters on Friday to widespread condemnation.

Senator Jeff Baron, the Minister of National Security, said last night that he had not been informed or consulted, with police operations falling to the Commissioner — making it inappropriate for him to give an opinion on the tactics.

Mr Baron was replying to an earlier statement from Walter Roban, Shadow Minister of National Security, pressing him for comment.

“Certainly I remain troubled and concerned about the events that unfolded last Friday,” he said.

“The injuries suffered were unfortunate and regrettable and I have personally reached out to and spoken to those members of the public and to the police officer who were hurt.”

Mr Baron added that the community needed to come together to calm tensions and de-escalate rhetoric from both sides.

“Through diplomacy, not police tactics, we must ensure the country’s political leaders are safely able do their jobs,” he said. “And together as a community we must ensure that what happened on Friday does not happen again.”

The OBA met on Sunday for MPs to air their views, according to party chairwoman Lynne Woolridge, who took exception to this newspaper’s report that members gathered to assess the party’s future after two MPs were said to have contemplated resigning.

“While all of us in the OBA agree that the mêlée involving the police and the demonstrators was horrifying, much to be lamented, we were as surprised by it as anyone else.

“We were able at our meeting on Sunday to express sympathy with those among us who felt most strongly about it, and to assure our Parliamentarians that our intention now as a party and as a Government, is to play as vigorous and as prominent a part as possible in leading the country through the crisis the incident has precipitated.

“Our party’s concentration is on the future of the country.”

According to a police spokesman, regarding last Friday’s protest, one alleged assailant had already appeared in court yesterday. Investigations continue into multiple other assaults on police as well as complaints from members of the public about police actions. The spokesman said: “These inquiries are important but will take time to conclude and in the interim we appeal for calm.”

Opinion, page 4