Exactly one month after the Campus Trendz fire, Barbadians are still hurting over the tragic loss of life on September 3.
But yesterday, as a modest crowd of ordinary citizens and officials came together in the Jubilee Gardens with family members and friends of the six Tudor Street victims for a national rally, some speakers simply could not hide their disappointment over the level of public attendance for the event, which was affected by intermittent rains.
“Why are we not more enraged? Why are we continuing to shop in Swan Street and seeing girls working in small cramped stores [and not doing anything about it]?” asked women’s advocate Nalita Gajadhar.
Pan-Africanist Bobby Clarke also lamented that “people in Barbados don’t seem to understand pain”. He went on to say that only the family could truly appreciate the full extent of the loss.
However, the level of anger felt by ordinary Barbadians over the Tudor street incident has been borne out in the findings of the latest CADRES survey commissioned by the Nation in the immediate aftermath of last month’s tragedy.
It shows that there is overwhelming public support (83 per cent) for a police crackdrown on “liming” and loitering in The City.
Barbadians, however, believe that Bridgetown is safe (57 per cent), even though lighting has been rated by the majority (79 per cent) as inadequate.
The survey also sought the views of Barbadians on the issue of the Building Code.
Interestingly, many respondents were not even aware that the country already has such a code. And while most felt that business with single entrances/exits should not be allowed to continue operating, those polled were somewhat divided over the issue of enforcement of the national code.
