The leader of the Coalition of Independents (COI), Lincoln Bain, and eight others are due to re-appear in court on December 1 after they appeared in a Bahamas Magistrate’s Court on charges of unlawful assembly and obstruction in connection with Wednesday’s protest in Parliament Square.
The COI formed last year, contested the general elections six months later, but failed to win a seat despite receiving 7,852 votes and outperforming the smaller opposition Democratic National Alliance (DNA).
Bain and his eight co-accused were arrested after they tried to deliver their own bill to address what they proclaimed to be the “immigration crisis”.
Lincoln Bain, 45, along with Rakino Seymour, 35, George Griffin, 47, Travis Bodie, 33, Mario Bain, 47, Charlotte Green, 41, and Conroy Ingraham, 47 appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney, accused of unlawful assembly, and obstruction of the Senate and House of Assembly.
Ingraham faced further charges of assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest while Greene had an additional charge of disorderly behavior, Leonardo Sands, 36, faced charges of assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, and disorderly behavior, and 22-year-old Cara Ellis, is facing a charge of obstruction.
During their court appearances, the accused were told that they acted tumultuously in such a manner that it disturbed the peace and that they put persons in the neighborhood of such assembly in fear. But their defense attorney, Maria Daxon objected to the amendment to the charges to include the tumultuous act.
That line was met with protest by the defendants’ lawyers, including attorney Maria Daxon.
All nine defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges and were granted US$1,500 bail each with one surety.
Bain later told reporters that he will continue to push for the government to ban children born in The Bahamas to “illegal immigrants” from applying for citizenship.
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