PM pledges to raise Rastafarian community concerns with King Charles

Prime Minister Philip Davis met with representatives of the Rastafarian community in The Bahamas Wednesday morning, assuring them that their concerns would be conveyed through the appropriate channels and raised with King Charles III through formal dialogue.

The meeting came after members of the Rastafarian community gathered opposite Fort Charlotte, where the King attended a youth rally during the first day of his visit to The Bahamas.

Armed with placards, demonstrators called for reparations and demanded reparatory justice, using the royal visit to bring renewed attention to their calls for acknowledgement and redress for the lasting consequences of slavery and colonialism.

Davis assured the delegation that he would communicate their concerns through the appropriate channels, including raising the issues with the monarch through formal dialogue.

The demonstration formed part of wider calls for reparatory justice as The Bahamas welcomes the British monarch, whose visit has prompted renewed discussion about the legacy of slavery, the relationship between the former colony and the British Crown, and the pursuit of reparations.