07/27/2022
Celebrating July 26th - Day of National Significance in Barbados.
Today is the Day of National Significance as we commemorate the labour riots of 1937 dubbed as The Clement Payne Rebellion.
During 1937, Payne was back in Barbados campaigning to the masses to seek a better life, free from the oppression of the elite white ‘planter class’.
He held public meetings in Bridgetown, the nation’s capital, at which Payne emphasized the rights of the people, encouraging them to stand up for themselves and insist on better conditions.
Clement Osbourne Payne was viewed as a dangerous revolutionary that threatened the very nature of Barbadian society at that time, and was kept under close observation by the authorities.
Because he was kept on such a close watch,Clement Osbourne Payne was eventually accused of falsifying a statement to the Barbados Harbour Authorities when he entered Barbados in 1937 stating that his place of birth was Barbados, and not Trinidad.
The night after his court appearance, Payne held another meeting and announced his belief that the Government had ulterior motives. The following day, Payne and approximately 300 workers marched to the Governor’s residence at Government House. He and thirteen of his supporters were arrested and charged for refusing to disperse as an ‘assembled mob’.
On July 26th July 1937 Payne won his appeal against the conviction however he was still ordered to leave the island.
Payne’s supporters hired a young attorney, Grantley Adams, to represent him. Adams, aware of the sensitivity of the situation, advised Payne not to dispute the deportation order. Hence, Clement Payne was deported and prohibited from entering Barbados again.
The action of the authorities and Governor Mark Young incited the general public into frenzy. Rioting continued for four days island-wide which saw the commercial district severely damaged – cars were pushed into the sea or smashed, shop windows were broken and there was chaos all over.
The riots lasted four days leaving 14 dead, 47 wounded, 500 arrested and millions of dollars in property damage.
Source: Totally Barbados
Reposted from
