Tears and screams at Bonadie’s final farewell

IN an emotion-filled funeral ceremony yesterday that started at 12.30 pm in Vegas, Second Caledonia, Morvant and ended at 5.30 pm at the Tunapuna Public Cemetery, hundreds of teary eyed mourners had to be consoled, while many others had to be dragged away screaming as the “Warrior Queen” of the village Galene Bonadie aka “Bible” took her final farewell. In the background, several quietly cracking guns were heard as the angry owners muttered about revenge for their village queen. At all three venues where the body was laid to view, Vegas, the Daybreak Assembly Church at Poinsettia Drive, Coconut Drive, Morvant and the Tunapuna Cemetery, a heavy police and army presence was visible.

Some people suggested that presence was designed to prevent any untoward reaction or to see if any questionable or wanted persons attended the funeral. Bonadie, 41, was killed by a police bullet last Friday while a mob was allegedly attacking a police officer. The residents are claiming execution while the police are claiming accident. During the church service, several angry residents confirmed that “they are not taking the death so” and will be seeking revenge. While he did not explain what he meant, Sean “Bill” Francis, common-law husband of Bonadie, shouted “from next week is fire for the Government for what they did,” as he sped off to the cemetery.

Ironically, Pastor Ricky McClatchie of the Daybreak Assembly Church had only minutes before made a call from the alter for persons to forget revenge and seek God. Over 50 responded. The pastor had even called on the mother of five’s immediate family and prayed with them, asking that they forget hate and revenge and concentrate on a better future. “Don’t be bitter, be stronger,” he advised. Francis, in his eulogy, described his wife as a strong, happy, jovial woman who was a stickler for justice. And she was killed for that. Bonadie, at the time of the shooting, was part of a group challenging the arrest of two youths from the area whom the cops were allegedly roughing up. She was also an advocate for many working class and poor people in the area for a number of years.

One person quietly informed Newsday that persons presently associated with Bonadie were seeking the name and address of the cop. He did not bother to say why. Newsday was also informed that the protest of the residents, some of whom were at the cemetery with placards, will continue at a heightened level from next week. Present at the funeral were Member of Parliament for Morvant/Laventille East, Fitzgerald Hinds, community activist and former PNM senator, Muhammad Shabazz, UNC Senator, Sadiq Baksh, who employed Francis in a security role during the days of the UNC government, and community activist Verna St Rose Greaves.