The march against crime, dubbed the “Freedom March,” was a success, according to the march’s organisers.

Anti-crime activist, Rodney Moncur told reporters that he was pleased with the turnout on Saturday and that he hopes that the government took note of it.

“Today you see a coalition of Bahamians who will march and continue to march against crime,” he said.

“We’ve come to say to the government, it’s a simple matter; we can reduce the amount of murders in our society if we do two things: no bail for murderers and remove the impediment that prevents the state from hanging murders. All they have to do is hold a referendum to get rid of the Privy Council and affirm constitutionally that capital punishment by hanging is the lawful means for people charged with murder.”

Families of All Murdered Victims (FOAM) President, Khandi Gibson was also on the march and said the government must realise that “enough is enough.”

“It’s good for us to unite because murder affecting everyone,” she told reporters on Saturday at the pep rally in Rawson Square.

“If you haven’t had someone murdered in your life, you probably know someone who had a loved one killed. It’s just so painful to know that these people committing murders are allowed bail and are back on the streets to kill again. We need to stand together and not just murder but all crimes and we are here to simply tell the government that enough is enough.”

Gibson had both her brothers killed within the space of eight months.

Also attending Saturday’s march was Rupert Roberts who said no one is safe in the country and that crime will “kill the economy and livelihood of the Bahamian people.”

“We need to have stronger laws and not give bail to murderers and just hang these people,” he said.

Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Leader, Branville McCartney told reporters that he did not participate in the march as the DNA Leader but as a concerned citizen.

“We live in this country as Bahamians and we are not safe,” he said.

“The fear of crime is mammoth and out of control. We need to put the fear of the law in the hearts and minds of the criminal element and we need the political will to ensure that happens. Doing the same thing over and over again is not going to work. We are asking the government to have the political will so that if you commit a murder anyone and you are found guilty, you see your maker. I’m here to stand for that and have stood for that for many years.”

Mr. McCartney said there are people out on bail repeating crimes and “that is really a slap in the face to law abiding citizens.”

“The fundamental principle of any government is the protection of its citizens,” he said.

“We have PLPs, FNMs, DNAs and otherwise here and I hope we take affirmative action in keeping the government’s feet to the fire in doing what the Bahamian people wants them to do failing which they must be fired as soon as possible.”

Free National Movement member, Dr. Duane Sands echoed similar sentiments.

“This is a Bahamian issue,” he said.

“Certainly I happen to look at this as a Bahamian and a surgeon and the truth of the degree of violence needs to be known by the Bahamian people. When you see the suffering, brutality, stabbings, shootings, rapes, it is unacceptably high and we can no longer continue to sacrifice the rights of society for the supposed rights of the individual. When the rights of the community are trampled by the rights of the individual then we need to take a look and reset the parameters by which we give bail and how we get people through the judicial system.”

The march began at the Golden Gates Shopping Centre and ended in Rawson Square with a pep rally.

Following the pep rally, people marched back to the shopping centre.