GEBE protest march planned as legal options form, call goes out for 5,000 people minimum

GREAT BAY--Peggy-Ann Richardson announced on Saturday that a public march to NV GEBE is now being planned, following a meeting held earlier in the day with legal professionals and concerned residents to discuss possible legal action against utility company GEBE. She also added that an association will be established to take the matter forward legally as early as next week. Once that entity is established the protest march will be organized.  

Richardson said the march is being organized after encouragement from several older residents, including her father, who urged her to recognize the importance of public visibility in addition to legal strategy. She said she had initially made it clear that she would not be part of a march, but reconsidered after listening to elders who explained that a march is necessary to give the people of St. Maarten a collective public voice on the current GEBE situation.

Richardson said the tentative route will run from the TelEm parking lot to the NV GEBE main office. Further details on the date, time and final route are expected to be announced. She called for at a minimum 5,000 people to show up.

“This march needs to happen,” Richardson said. “I want to publicly thank all the older heads, including my father and others, who encouraged me and told me a march is needed.”

Richardson said the march will not be symbolic only, but “purpose driven” and tied to a clear objective. She emphasized that the public action will move alongside the legal work now being organized.

“People of St. Maarten, we are turning the corner, and NV GEBE will be dealt with strategically, directly, intentionally and with purpose,” Richardson said.

Earlier Saturday, Richardson and others convened a meeting intended to gather legal minds and seek legal advice on how to pursue a possible collective legal action or collective injunction against NV GEBE. She said she became emotional during the meeting because of the number and cross-section of persons who attended.

According to Richardson, the meeting brought together persons willing to assist in shaping the legal approach, including local legal counsel. She said the turnout demonstrated that St. Maarten has legal professionals available and prepared to assist with the next steps.

Richardson said Saturday’s meeting will be the last publicly announced meeting of legal minds. From this point forward, she said, the legal group will continue organizing internally and strategically.

“This will be the last time that we will announce a meeting of legal minds,” Richardson said, also stating that future locations for meetings will not be announced considering the legal challenge ahead. "We will keep the members secret and the legal minds who are supporting us also secret. NV GEBE can be considered our Goliath of our day," she said. She explained that GEBE will use its resources and every effort possible to "garner up all the legal council in St. Maarten."

She added that while the group is prepared to seek legal assistance within the Kingdom if necessary, that is not required at this stage because local legal counsel has made itself available.

“For now, we do not need to do it because we do have legal counsel available in St. Maarten that will assist with the legal steps,” Richardson said.

Richardson’s initiative follows growing public concern over NV GEBE bills, the fuel clause, tariff transparency and the impact of high utility costs on households and businesses. She has previously stated that any legal approach should be structured in a way that does not only benefit one customer, but seeks relief or accountability that can positively affect GEBE clients more broadly.

She reiterated that the process will be deliberate and focused, combining public mobilization with legal preparation.

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