A citizen-led march called “Soul of the Nation” which is designed to address concerns about governance in Antigua and Barbuda will take place today. The demonstration, organized by William ‘Zeezee” Thomas and Vere Bird III – also known as “Lone Wolf” – aims to highlight issues including crime, high cost of living, infrastructure problems, and alleged lack of transparency in government.
This will be the second public demonstration organized by both men following a similar protest held last month.
“The nation needs to find its soul back,” Thomas said. “The people of the nation are hurting, and they’re hurting heavily, and they need somebody to bring them out to demonstrate that all is not well and good.”
The march will leave from the former PDO building at 5:00pm. The route will take protestors up Market Street, onto Long Street, right onto Independence Avenue, left on Queen Elizabeth Highway, and left onto Parliament Drive to the old Parliament building location. Organizers hope to conclude the event by 7:30pm.
Thomas emphasized that while the United Progressive Party supports the initiative, it is not strictly a political event. “I am not a member of any political organization. I support the United Progressive Party. However, what I am doing, along with the Lone Wolf, is a part of our regular Wednesday going out, which we call the Wolf and Conqueror Roadshow,” he explained.
When asked about his growing activism, Thomas shared, “It is something that has been boiling up in me. And I’ve seen a void where nothing has been happening. Everybody you hear call every day on the radio, ‘Oh, well, nobody do nothing.’ But you, as a citizen, have the right, with the Constitution and other laws concerned, for you to do whatever you can peacefully.”
Thomas also revealed his ongoing efforts to obtain information about the Antigua Airways contract through Freedom of Information requests. “Under our Freedom of Information, any contract that the government enters into, whether by itself or private, that information should be made public,” he said. “You cannot have us in darkness and preach transparency and accountability while withholding important information from the public.”
The organizers are inviting all citizens to participate and bring placards with sensible messages. Thomas has also invited religious leaders, including Bishop Jeffrey, who promised to reach out to other religious figures to join the demonstration.
“We have to come through with a march and songs in order to clean that up,” Thomas said, referring to restoring the nation’s soul. “I’m going to advocate for good governance, transparency, and accountability, which is lacking in Antigua and Barbuda today.”
