BAND LEADERS are concerned about the low level of security which was in effect on Kadooment Day.

President of the Barbados Association of Masqueraders and band leader of Refugees Roger Millar said that the road had become a "war zone".

He stated: "We are in full support of pulling our bands off the road . . . until some measure of safety is put forward to ensure that the bands and the patrons that paid money to jump are protected."

Noting that the road had become a "war zone", Millar called for all free trucks to be taken off the road. "If you want to jump, you pay. You join a band."

He noted that initially it was thought that a free band would keep non-paying revellers from intruding on organised bands. Instead "those same individuals will jump in every band . . . until their band comes along," he said.

He called on the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), the minister of Culture and the Attorney-General to resolve the issue by December of this year in order to prevent the boycott.

Trevor Chase of Ooutraje said that one police officer could not protect 250 people and suggested that there should be the return of a highly visible contingent of Barbados Defence Force (BDF) personnel.

While he acknowledged that special forces were "floating" and "on call", he felt that they should accompany each band.

He also noted that no matter how well calypsonians performed, the spectacular climax of Grand Kadooment was necessary.

First-time band leader Wayne Harewood of Community Players said that one of his workers described the situation as "vicious".

As a result of violence, his band did not complete the journey. Instead they stopped in Black Rock.

Veteran band leader Betty West said that although she had very strong private security in her band, bottles were still thrown among the revellers. She said she would not return next year without the presence of the Task Force.

Radikal's Amanda Forde said that the Bank Hall, Eagle Hall, and Black Rock areas were especially dangerous and called for a strong police, BDF, and Task Force presence along that part of the route.

Brian Hinds of Campus Boyz said that if Kadooment was seen as a part of a national festival as well as a money earner, it should be safeguarded. (NB)