Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell has revealed plans to construct a shrine at Fort George in memory of deceased Revolutionary leader Maurice Bishop and others who lost their lives on October 19, 1983, amid internal conflicts within the Revolutionary Government.
Originally named Fort Rupert to honor Bishop’s father during the revolution, the site was renamed Fort George after the revolution’s collapse and the island’s return to democracy. The fort is currently undergoing restoration as part of a tourism initiative.
In his address during the National Heroes Day celebrations, attended by hundreds at Progress Park and many more via live broadcast, Prime Minister Mitchell emphasized the importance of honoring those who fell on that tragic day. “We can assure you that once the restoration is complete, your administration will ensure that a proper shrine is established to commemorate our martyrs,” he stated. He acknowledged that for the past 40 years, there has been little recognition of the tragedy that occurred at Fort Rupert.
“But as we reclaim our history, as we reclaim and comes to term with our pass, we will do what is right in ensuring that the necessary shrine to commemorate the tragic loss of our prime minister, members of cabinet and other citizens of Grenada is properly erected on that site, to ensure that our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren appreciate and sacrifice made by our forebears,” he said in his National Heroes Day address.
However, since October 1993 a plaque was erected at the site where the military killings of Bishop and his cabinet along with others who died on that day. The plaque says that it was erected with the cooperation of the Government of Grenada by the Maurice Bishop and Martyrs Foundation.
As Grenada observes its second year of National Heroes Day, the Foundation previously collaborated with the government for the 2023 events, which included an ecumenical service at Fort George and a wreath-laying ceremony. However, the Foundation chose not to participate in the government-organized activities for 2024.
Terrence Marryshow, a founding member of the Foundation, expressed dissatisfaction among the families of those killed on October 19, 1983, regarding the government’s decision to relocate the event from Fort George. “It’s there where the tragic events occurred, and we should always remember that,”
