House of Assembly Under Siege – The Dramatic History of Mace Protests

• Al Rahming Photography
• December 4, 2024
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The Mace – A Symbol Under Siege

The Mace, an ornate symbol of authority in the Westminster parliamentary system, represents order and sovereignty in the House of Assembly. Without it, Parliament cannot convene, nor can its decisions carry lawful weight. It is the embodiment of democratic governance, demanding respect and reverence.

Yet, in Bahamian history, this sacred object has been hurled out of windows, handcuffed in defiance, and wielded as a prop in acts of protest. The most recent incident on December 4, 2024, thrust the Mace back into the spotlight, raising questions about the state of the nation’s politics. Was this an echo of past struggles for justice or a chaotic outburst with no clear purpose?

To understand, we must begin with the dramatic events of December 4 before tracing the Mace’s storied—and turbulent—history.

December 4, 2024: A Dark Day in Parliament

It was a Wednesday morning like no other in the Bahamas House of Assembly. The country was already reeling from political scandals, including the resignation of Police Commissioner Clayton Leroy Fernander after a high-profile cocaine sting operation in Florida. The nation’s faith in its leaders hung by a thread.

Inside the chamber, tensions reached a boiling point as debates over corruption escalated. Verbal sparring between MPs and Speaker Patricia Deveaux turned heated. Suddenly, Shanendon Cartwright, MP for St. Barnabas, broke from his seat. With deliberate urgency, he stormed to the Speaker’s desk and seized the Mace—the symbol of parliamentary authority.

Gasps filled the room. Cartwright, his face a mask of defiance, hurled the Mace out of the window, its crash echoing on the streets below. Chaos erupted. Opposition MPs linked arms, blocking police from removing Cartwright as chants of support roared from protestors gathered outside Parliament.

The Speaker, visibly shaken, declared she was “in fear for [her] life.” Injuries followed: the Deputy Speaker was struck and hospitalized, a police officer sustained serious damage to his leg, and the chamber descended into pandemonium.

Prime Minister Philip Davis condemned the incident as a “disgrace,” denouncing the desecration of parliamentary decorum. But to some, Cartwright’s act symbolized growing frustrations with a government seen as plagued by scandal and unaccountability.

Black Tuesday, 1965: The Defining Moment

Nearly six decades earlier, on April 27, 1965, the Mace had been thrust into the spotlight in an act of defiance that changed Bahamian history. At the time, the United Bahamian Party (UBP) used gerrymandering to suppress the political power of majority-black districts, maintaining control despite mounting public outrage.

Inside the House of Assembly that day, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), led by Lynden Pindling, had reached a breaking point. As debates raged, a crowd of protestors gathered outside, demanding justice.

Pindling, rising to speak, seemed calm at first. Then, with dramatic flourish, he marched to the Speaker’s table, seized the Mace, and proclaimed:

“This is the symbol of authority, and authority on this island belongs to the people, and the people are outside.”

He threw the Mace out of the window, its fall met with deafening cheers from the crowd. Sir Milo Butler, not to be outdone, grabbed the Speaker’s hourglass and hurled it to the ground, shattering it into fragments.

This act, later named Black Tuesday, galvanized the nation. It was a turning point in the fight for electoral reform, dismantling the UBP’s gerrymandered boundaries and ushering in a new era of fairness in Bahamian politics.

December 3, 2001: A Protest Bound by Chains

Between these two dramatic moments lies another incident: December 3, 2001, when the Mace became a symbol of defiance yet again. Cassius Stuart and Omar Smith, founders of the Bahamas Democratic Movement (BDM), believed the Free National Movement (FNM) government was engaging in unfair gerrymandering.

In a bold act of protest, the two men entered the House of Assembly and handcuffed themselves to the Mace, effectively halting parliamentary proceedings. Chaos ensued as officials scrambled to respond. The spectacle ended with their arrest and two days in jail, though no charges were brought.

While this act was symbolic and drew attention to electoral grievances, it lacked the sweeping impact of Black Tuesday.

Chronology of Mace Protests

The Weight of Symbols: Comparing the Acts

Each of these incidents reflects the power of the Mace as a symbol, but their motivations and outcomes differ starkly:

• Black Tuesday was a calculated, transformative act of defiance, born from a fight against systemic injustice and oppression.
• The 2001 protest was a symbolic disruption that underscored electoral grievances but lacked widespread resonance.
• The 2024 event, dramatic as it was, feels mired in chaos and frustration, with no clear rallying cry or vision for change.

Conclusion: Protest or Pandemonium?

The Mace has been a central figure in Bahamian political drama, its symbolic weight making it a natural target for protest. Yet, as these events show, the power of protest lies not just in its spectacle but in its purpose.

Black Tuesday remains unparalleled, a singular moment of courage and clarity that changed the course of Bahamian history. The events of 2001 and 2024, though dramatic, lack the same focus and transformative impact, raising questions about the effectiveness of such gestures in today’s political landscape.

As Bahamians reflect on the December 4 incident, they must consider: How can we channel frustration into meaningful action? And how can the lessons of Black Tuesday inspire the next chapter in the nation’s democratic journey?