Barbados Today

The leader of one Crop Over band wants to put a stop to adults gyrating on children on Kadooment Day.

In fact, Marcia Weekes of Walk Holy band is calling on the authorities to impose an immediate fine of $500 on any man or woman found to be behaving inappropriately towards a child during the street parade.

Weekes said she was driven to launch a campaign against such behaviour after she saw a photograph on social media last year of two adults wukking up on boys.

The bandleader plans to launch an online petition of Friday, asking Barbadians to support her call for the fine. She said the list of signatures would later be forwarded to Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite.

Weekes said she was not being judgmental, but was simply trying to protect vulnerable children. She added that her band would practice what it preached by separating the adults from the children during the parade.

“It [Crop Over] is an expression of our culture. It is how we express ourselves and we are not passing judgement on everyone. What we are saying is that we have a place for your kids so children are not exposed to anything negative on Kadooment Day. We will have your kids kept at a safe place while you might be jumping [and you] don’t have to be in our band,” Weekes told Barbados TODAY at the launch of Walk Holy band.

The bandleader added that she would like to see Kadooment become “a more family-friendly” event.