On Sunday, August 24th 2025, under a canopy of grey skies, afternoon breezes fanned the land with a refreshing coolness. An appreciable number of community demonstrators gathered at the Scouts and Guides Gazebo to stage a rally against gun-related violence that had been affecting our otherwise tranquil Anguilla.
The rally took the form of a prayer march with a gospel band and a team of worshipers providing pulsating Christian music. Dubbed “Anguilla United Against Gun Violence”, it was organized by the Anguilla Christian Council and the Anguilla Evangelical Association and moderated by Pastor Phillip Gumbs.
Over the past several months, the island had continued to be plagued by a spate of gun-related crimes including murders, primarily among youth. Pathetically, the island has already recorded ten murders for 2025.
Now, the community had taken the position that “enough is enough”, and hundreds followed the call of the Anguilla Christian Council and the Anguilla Evangelical Association to come out and make a statement of solidarity against the vicious plight.
At approximately 4:30pm, things got started as the police escort led the crowd of demonstrators south to the St. Gerard’s Roman Catholic Church, where the first prayer-stop was made. The passionate crowd, following the band of vibrant music, then headed eastward towards the ABC Hardware store. There, another fervent prayer was offered, before the throng proceeded to move on up the street, turning left and pausing for prayer again at the former NBA Building which houses the Premier’s Office, and other government offices.
The procession moved on northward, turning west at Lake’s intersection where another prayer-stop was made opposite the SOL fuel station, beside the store in which one young man was brutally shot and killed in June. As the rally headed westward, the final stop was made on the street between the Public Library and Campus A of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School, the island’s first high school compound.
It was at this scene that yet another passionate prayer was offered by newly appointed Deputy Principal Pastoral, Pastor Rondy Isles-Carty. During Pastor Rondy’s powerful prayer he requested the crowd to extend their hands toward the school, as he asked God to temper and stabilize the hearts and minds of the youth who attend Campuses A, B, and Q, as well as the students of the primary schools and preschools.
Following the prayer, the enthusiastic and determined marchers proceeded back to the starting point with the lively singing of Susan Best’s “People of the Islands”. It was there at the Scouts and Guides Gazebo that a series of addresses were delivered by the Governor, Government officials, and public service officials.
The first speech was presented by Her Excellency, Governor Julia Crouch. She noted that the quality of the turnout indicated that gun-violence is everybody’s concern. “We are here in prayer, reflection and solidarity,” she noted. “Our coming together is a statement of our unity and our shared commitment to peace.
“We gather at a time of deep concern and loss. There are families among us who have been devastated by the loss of their loved-ones. Communities are fearful, for there are young people who have been drawn down dangerous paths – dangerous both for them and for us. But this evening we stand here together and we are united.” “We are unified,” she affirmed, “not in despair but by determination. By being here we are demonstrating that our stand against gun violence is every person’s business.”
Next to deliver remarks was the Hon. Premier Cora Richardson-Hodge. She noted that proper functional families across the island are key to eradicating gun-related crime. “Mothers, every child walking around this country comes from you,” she stressed. “And you have to maintain that commitment to see your child properly reaching the stage of adulthood.” “Young people,” she pleaded, “we want you to value your life. We want you to value your future. And that comes through staying away from violence – staying away from gangs – and working towards developing your future.”
“In our communities, we need to get back to the days when it took a village to raise a child,” she pleaded. “We cannot keep silent. We have to ensure that we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, and we have to stand strong together.”
The Premier made special mention of persons who have been helping the police by providing them with valuable information. “Thank you! We appreciate you and we want you to continue without fear,´ she said. “If you know something, say something,” she repeatedly chanted with the crowd.
To the young people of the country, the Premier made a strong petition for peace while alluding to Matthew 5:9 which promises: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they are called the children of God.”
Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Ellis L. Webster, also referred to the potent, helping attribute of God in his presentation: “We want to save the lives of our young people. And that is why we are here,” he said. “The government can legislate; the courts can adjudicate; the churches can advocate; and the police can enforce the laws. But it takes all of us coming together to make this work for Anguilla. And we can’t do this of ourselves, but through God.”
“No matter what we do or say, we need to call upon God to be in our midst to give us wisdom and guidance as is necessary. We want to save our young people, but it takes all hands on deck to make this happen. And we need God to soften the hearts of those who might be planning to do others harm. We need God to control those who would control them, and command them, so that their plots would be foiled, and we can continue to live together in peace and harmony, as we are known for it in Anguilla.”
Dr. Webster hailed the rally as a “good initiative”, and he thanked the organizers.
Also speaking was the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Robert Muir Clark. He, too, took a Biblical slant in his presentation. In particular he referred to James 5:16 and James 4:17.
“We long to see an Anguilla that is free from fear and full of hope!” exclaimed Commissioner Clark. “This beautiful island has been shaped by a rich Christian heritage. Our churches and the faith of our people have long provided a moral compass for this nation.”
“Our faith guides our choices and strengthens our families,” he affirmed, “and our faith nurtures our relationship with God. We do believe in the Word of God, don’t we?” “Yes, but today we must face the hard truth. God is calling us into action. James 5:16 says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man ails much.”
“Prayer is powerful”, he said, “but prayer without truth is powerless. And prayer without courage is empty. Violence does not thrive because it is strong. It thrives because too many stay silent, and too many accept silence as being normal…Let me be clear. The Bible in James 4:17 says: ‘If anyone knows the good they are to do and does it not, it is a sin for them.”’
He therefore repeated that convenient slogan relative to assisting in criminal investigation: “If you know something, say something!”
At the end of the Commissioner’s presentation, the Moderator, Pastor Gumbs, jovially commended him for such an inspirational message and his eloquent delivery of Biblical admonition.
Methodist Minister, Rev. Lindsey Richardson, finally addressed the gathering on the grieving mothers of those deceased young men whose lives had been callously ended through untimely death. He explained that despite all this, God can heal the broken hearted.
“There are but a few sounds more heart-wrenching than a mother’s cry when she buries her child,” Rev, Lindsey reflected. “In this island, we often hear a mother’s wail: ‘My belly, oh my belly!’ because she remembers the child that she carried; the child that she birthed; the child that she nurtured and loved; the child that is now being lowered in a box. And that cry is not only for her own son – it is the cry of our nation.”
“But Psalm 147 reminds us that God heals the broken hearted and He binds up their wounds. So let us then rise up, not with anger, but with compassion. Not with a thirst for revenge but with forgiveness. And may we hold the hands of that wounded mother and support her as she says to her remaining children and nephews, ‘Enough!’ No more tears; no more heart- wrenching pain…”
Community Services Planner in the Ministry of Social Development, Mrs. Hyacinth Bradley, also made a stirring speech.
The event ended as Pastor Phillip Gumbs led the gathering in a closing prayer and benediction. The worship team then led everyone in the singing of “Bind Us Together”.
By: James Harrigan
