Protesters have officially launched a petition against a beach bar at Warwick Long Bay, with organisers claiming it has more than 1,000 signatures already.

Residents and environmentalists today turned out in force at the site of the proposed bar, bearing placards which read: ‘Don’t Exploit Park Land’ and ‘Listen to the people’.

Stuart Hayward, chairman of the Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce (BEST), said since organising the petition yesterday, more than 1,000 people have already signed up.

He said that by upholding applicant Belcario Thomas’ appeal for the ‘Sandbar’, Environment Minister Glenn Blakeney was destroying “the goose that lays the golden egg” – the Island’s natural beauty which attracts tourists in the first place.

Mr. Blakeney has said he approved the appeal in the spirit of sustainable development, in terms of balancing tourism, the environment and the economy.

However, Mr. Hayward today said: “We sustain Bermuda’s tourism potential when we preserve some areas in their pristine state. We sustain Bermuda’s integrity when we save our policymakers from doing something we’d all regret. We sustain orderliness in society when we push for law-abiding practices from our citizens and leaders alike.”

Protesters are to meet Mark Pettingill, MP for Warwick West, to discuss the issue tonight at St. Mary’s Church at 8 p.m..

The BEST petition can be found at: www.best.org.bm.