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Largest Planned Protest Since 2014 Land-for-Debt Uprising That Toppled a Government

Basseterre, St. Kitts – September 21, 2025 — The Drew administration is staring down the barrel of what may become the largest public protest in over a decade, as the Citizens Empowerment Coalition (CEC) has officially announced a mass awareness march for Friday, September 26th, 2025.

The march — expected to bring thousands into the streets of Basseterre — is already being compared to the historic 2014 land-for-debt swap protest, when citizens from every corner of society flooded Bay Road and Church Street in outrage at the Douglas administration’s decision to trade national lands for unsustainable debt. That 2014 protest ignited the Team Unity tsunami, which ultimately swept Denzil Douglas out of office in the 2015 general elections.

Just like that defining moment in history, this Friday’s march is shaping up to be a multi-generational, cross-society uprising — uniting civil society, political activists, business leaders, religious voices, the young and the elderly, residents and citizens alike — all with one cry: “Save Our Country.”

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The Gathering Storm

The protest is set to gather at the West Bus and Ferry Terminal on Bay Road at 2:30 p.m., with the march beginning at 3:00 p.m. and running until 6:00 p.m. Organizers insist this is not “business as usual” but a direct call to action for every citizen and resident of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Placards, chants, and sheer people power are expected to dominate the capital’s streets, turning Basseterre into the epicenter of national resistance against Drew’s government.

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Why the People Are Rising

At the heart of this uprising are years of frustration and betrayal. Citizens accuse the Drew administration of:

• Selling out locals in favor of foreign investors, from Christophe Harbour to Friars Bay, the Ritz-Carlton scandal, and the Nevis SEZ “private city” controversy.
• Abandoning small and medium-sized businesses like St. Kitts Marine Works, which is now locked in a bitter battle with the government.
• Failing to deliver on promises of jobs, housing, healthcare, and water security.
• Presiding over spiraling crime and a collapsing healthcare system that left dialysis patients without treatment.

“This government is following the same destructive playbook that enraged the people in 2014,” one former civil servant told SKN Times. “The people rose up then and changed history. They will rise up again.”

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Déjà Vu All Over Again

The parallels are striking: in 2014, citizens marched against a government accused of selling out their future. In 2025, citizens are preparing to march again — this time against a government they say is trading away their land, dignity, and livelihoods for foreign dollars.

Organizers believe the momentum building for Friday could rival — or even surpass — the historic 2014 march, once again proving that the will of the people is stronger than the arrogance of any government.

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High-Stakes Friday

The Drew administration, already battered by scandal, crime, and economic decline, cannot afford the optics of thousands flooding Basseterre in open defiance. Yet the tide seems unstoppable.

Friday, September 26th, 2025, is poised to go down in history as the day the streets of Basseterre roared again — just as they did in 2014.

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