The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has received criticism for politicizing the Randol Fawkes Labour Day Parade from union leaders and others.

PLP National Chairman, the Hon. Fred Mitchell addressed the issue in the House Of Assembly on Wednesday. He said, “there’s a historical fact, labour and political parties have marched together and it don’t matter whether you come in your paraphernalia or not. But these days if you call a march I will be there, for every march. Why? Sean McSweeney wrote a book and he said in the nineteenth century they past laws because they were afraid that after the Haitian revolution black people were gonna over throw the government in The Bahamas and the past laws in this country to prevent more than two or three people from standing up on the street, no marches, no demonstrations were all banned. Today, we have the freedom to march. So once you gat the freedom, use the freedom.”

The PLP had announced that the march would be the launch of their 2026 general election campaign. President of the Trade Union Congress, Obie Ferguson pledged that his organization and its affiliates would not take part in the parade. Mitchell encouraged Bahamians to participate in the parade. “This coming Friday, everyone who is Bahamian, whatever Party you belong to should be on that march on Friday, that’s all I say. If you choose not to show up in your party colors that’s your business.”

Mitchell went further stating, “I don’t know where this idea comes from that because politics is involved in it something must be dirty with it. Where does that come from? How do we get to government? We get to government through a political party, that’s how you get there.

The Randol Fawkes Labour Day Parade will take place on Friday, June 6th.