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Coronavirus: Re-shaped plans for Jersey's Liberation 75 event

BBC Car passes crowds with people piled up in the backBBC
Crowds usually gather to celebrate on the streets of Jersey and Guernsey on 9 May

Plans for the 75th anniversary of Jersey's liberation have been re-shaped due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The event is celebrated on 9 May every year on the island's streets including a parade through St Helier.

It marks the end of the German occupation of the Channel Islands between 1940 and 1945.

The changes include a "virtual" States meeting and "pop-up parties" instead in households across the island.

A formal address given by the Bailiff of Jersey, usually delivered to crowds in Liberation Square, will now be streamed online.

DJs will also play music across St Helier from the embankment of Fort Regent as part of an island-wide "virtual skyline party".

Islanders dressed in military outfits holding union jack flag
Lockdown restrictions in Jersey have been extended to 11 May
Crowds gathered under umbrellas
Liberation Day brings islanders together to celebrate the end of the German occupation in World War Two

Alternative plans for Liberation 75 also include:

  • Virtual tours of Jersey's WWII bunkers
  • A bunting design competition
  • Commemorative coins for the elderly and pin badges for all school students

The Bailiff of Jersey, Mr Timothy Le Cocq, said: "Although this is not what we planned for Liberation 75, we are determined to celebrate the liberation of our Island and Jersey's spirit.

"Now, perhaps more than ever, it is important for us to enjoy and mark all of the good things that Jersey is and has to offer.

"I hope that everyone will participate and know that even if we cannot be together physically, we can be together in spirit."

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