Citizens march against proposed wiretap legislation

Concerned citizens, civil society groups, and advocates for privacy took to the streets on Saturday to protest the proposed Wireless Communications Interceptions Bill.

The demonstration, which began at Kensington Oval and ended in Independence Square, was organised under the banner Citizens to March Against Warrantless Wiretaps.

Organisers argued that while the government promotes the bill as a crime-fighting tool, its provisions for warrantless interception of communications threaten to erode constitutional rights and open the door to abuse and political targeting.

Democratic Labour Party (DLP) representative Maxine McClean, one of the speakers at the event, accused the government of overreach.

Maxine McClean represented the DLP.

“It hurts my heart today that this distinguished Parliament of Barbados is being used to abuse the rights of Barbadians,” she declared. “The government does not have to get a warrant first to tap into my telephone—whether it be my landline, my cellphone, my email or whatever else.”

While acknowledging the need for stronger crime-fighting legislation, McClean maintained that the bill goes too far.

She pointed to Section 5(2)(B) as particularly troubling, saying it gives government unchecked access to private communications.

“What we do not need is legislation which pretends to focus on the battle against crime but is intended to spy on those people that the Prime Minister, her Cabinet and her parliamentary group and supporters of this legislation want to use,” she argued.

Rev Ferdinand Nicholls and Marcia Weekes were among those who addressed the crowd.

Also addressing the gathering was Reverend Ferdinand Nicholls, who urged citizens to reject the clause. “It is our responsibility now to stand up and demand that Section 5(2)(B) be removed from this bill,” he said.

“Every international agency stands by the fact that private citizens’ information is meant to be private and can not be accessed without prior knowledge.”

He added, “You have to be specific in the reason that you are going for a warrant. You have to be able to tell them the just cause.”

He chided, “Don’t let the Attorney General fool you about ‘in the interests of Barbados’ security’; that is rubbish.” (STT)