Revelers and the general public have been called upon to maintain order and to respect the volunteers who assist in maintaining order during Carnival events, such as the street parade and jump up.
It is reported that the volunteers have been belittled and insulted in the past.
Deputy Chairperson of the Road Parade Committee, Charlene White-Christian, made the call at the second Mas Dominick 2015 press conference which took place at the Dominica Festivals Committee (DFC) Office on Wednesday.
“As is customary every year, we have a few volunteers, young school persons mainly from the Goodwill Secondary School and a few other schools around, who volunteer their time to be volunteers and marshals. Over the past few years they have been insulted, they have been belittled,” she said. “We are asking to please just understand that these are young persons volunteering their time trying to assist.”
She noted that the volunteers are simply assisting with crowd control and the like and is appealing to spectators to “stay off the road, stay on the sidewalks” during the Carnival parade.
White-Christian said that anyone who is extremely disruptive will be handled by the police.
“So we are asking you to cooperate as you have done in the past,” she noted.
Meanwhile, there are certain guidelines that the Road Parade Committee would like people to comply with for the opening parade, scheduled for January 24.
All groups and floats should gathered by the Pottersville Savannah by 1:00 pm. Music trucks and sound systems should gather along the road and not on the Football Court or the Savannah itself.
The parade will begin at 3:00 pm.
“What we have noticed for the past few years, some of the floats come very late and girls are there but the floats are not there and then we have problems in placing them in the parade. So we are asking this year that we comply,” White-Christian noted.
She stated there will be a ban on throwing free items from trucks and floats. These items will be given by individuals walking alongside the trucks.
Contestants in various carnival competitions were reminded that they are only allowed two vehicles on the road during the opening parade, to include the ones that they will be on. If they require any more, reservations must be made in advance.
When you have to tell people to stand on the sidewalk and not in the road, its things like that that make Dominicans look primitive. I am glad you and your volunteers are trying your best. I can only wish you good luck.
What is the route?