A parliamentary session in the Bahamas was suspended after an opposition MP threw a ceremonial mace out a window causing a melee inside the chamber on Dec. 4.

Shanendon Cartwright, the deputy leader of the opposition, was restrained by police and officials following the incident.

During the scuffle, the deputy speaker was struck and taken to hospital, while a police officer suffered a leg injury, Speaker Patricia Deveaux told parliament.

Local media said the melee was sparked when the Speaker refused to allow opposition leader Michael Pintard to address the controversy surrounding allegations in a U.S. indictment that members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force were involved in drug trafficking.

The move has historical significance in the country. In 1965, the leader of the opposition threw the mace out of the window during an event dubbed “Black Tuesday” in a push for electoral change.

Subscribe to uInterview’s free weekly email for the latest entertainment news & exclusive celebrity videos!

Let us know what you think of the story in the comments below – join the conversation!

Credit: Bahamas Parliament via Storyful

Leave a comment

Subscribe to the uInterview newsletter