It is the second demonstration organised by those who oppose plans to develop the Esplanade car park into a complex of six large offices and follows a protest involving around 2,000 people, who formed ring around the site two weeks ago.
This morning around 80 Islanders holding ‘No’ posters arrived in the Royal Square ahead of today’s States sitting.
Members were today due to debate a proposition lodged by Deputy Montfort Tadier which calls for the Assembly to agree to halt work on the JIFC until the results of a review by a Scrutiny panel are published.
His proposition also asks the Council of Ministers to bring plans to the Chamber for approval before the project continues.
One of the organisers of today’s demonstration, John Baker, has also been co-ordinating a petition against the development, which is due to be submitted to the States at a later date.
He added that the revised petition was expected to pass the 3,000-signature mark in the coming days and that Deputy Terry McDonald had agreed to present the petition to the States, but that it had not yet been decided when that should be done.
Before debating Deputy Tadier’s proposition to delay work on the JIFC, the Council of Ministers submitted comments on the proposition urging States Members to reject the proposals.
MINISTERS and others who have championed the building of office blocks on the Esplanade car park have failed to take Islanders with them.
That fact was amply demonstrated when more than 2,000 people formed a ring of defiance around the site two weeks ago.
This morning, protesters were out in the Royal Square waving their ‘no’ placards.
These people are the visible face of deep-seated concerns that the finance centre could be a folly, a project being pushed through when questions remain unanswered.
On Saturday, the JEP published a series of questions to get important information which has been circulating in the closed corridors of power out into the public domain.
Good government, even good politics, is built through popular consensus by leaders who take those who they represent with them.
There is little more corrosive to the body politic, little that will stagnate Jersey in the apathy responsible for such poor election turn-outs, than a perception that politicians will do what they want in spite of their electors.
Yes, we are at the eleventh hour, but there is still time to make the argument, for or against.
Once again, the scaremongers have tried to silence the doubters, those respectable people who have turned out for the good-natured protests, by threatening that their actions risk damaging the Island’s reputation.
The Island’s reputation will be strong when ministers win back the trust of Islanders, when ordinary people feel confident in welcoming businesses to a new finance district.
