March organised in remembrance
of Nejumbia and Roneljia Fleming
PHILIPSBURG--Family and friends, in conjunction with the producers and cast of the “In the Company of Women & Men” family and radio personality Elektra’s Venus Day, will be holding a march honouring and remembering the lives of the late Nejumbia and Roneljia Fleming.
The young mother and her infant were murdered in St. James, St. Martin, early Thursday morning, October 30. The tragedy has left relatives, friends and the community stunned and horrified, and has once again raised questions concerning violence against women in the St. Maarten/St. Martin community.
The organisers of the march believe much work is still left to be done by those in law enforcement to properly explain all that transpired, but by concerned citizens of St. Maarten/St. Martin. Therefore, this march has been organised to pay tribute to Nejumbia and Roneljia, and to highlight the plight of the many women, children and men who are still affected by violence.
The event is scheduled for Tuesday, November 4, at 7:00pm, and participants should assemble at the parking lot in Bellevue, St. Martin, by 6:30pm for the march to commence on time. All those wishing to participate should wear an In the Company of Women 500 STRONG T-shirt, an Elektra Venus T-shirt or a regular pink, purple or white T-shirt. They should also take along a white candle in a candle holder.
The march will end at the Marigot waterfront where candles will be lit to pay tribute. Prospective participants are encouraged to urge friends and relatives to come out and remember these two young lives that were tragically ended. An appeal is also being made to motorists and observers to be respectful as they encounter the marchers.
“What has happened is a real tragedy, not just for our island, but especially for the family and friends of these two beautiful people. What we want to do now is to remember them and to make sure that their lives were not so horrifically ended in vain,” the organisers stated in a press release.
“The time has really come for St. Maarten/St. Martin to wake up and say ‘no more,’ not even in cases of relationships gone wrong, not even in cases of love, not even in any case. No more. In saying this together, we will all be saying to the spirits of Nejumbia and Roneljia that their lives were respected and that they will be remembered,” organisers said.
