The fifth anniversary of the December 2, 2016 parliamentary protest falls a week today – and The Royal Gazette will mark the occasion with in-depth coverage of the infamous event.

That flashpoint in Bermuda’s history, when demonstrators blocked MPs from entering the House of Assembly to debate a controversial airport deal and were pepper sprayed by police, is still vividly remembered by those involved and those who watched from the sidelines.

It was a day when what began as a peaceful protest turned into something much uglier – a violent clash between demonstrators determined not to let Parliament sit and police intent on creating a path to Sessions House.

From police appearing in riot helmets to a woman being stretchered on to an ambulance and seniors rubbing their faces in pain, images from the day persist in our collective memory.

But what happened behind-the-scenes in the aftermath of the protest and what has been done since to prevent an event like that from happening again?

These are just some of the questions that Gazette reporters asked as they interviewed those involved about their recollections and scoured public records to fill in the blanks for our special edition next Thursday.

We also want to hear from our readers. What do you remember about December 2, 2016? What do you still want to know?

Share your comments, memories, photos and videos with us by e-mailing december2@royalgazette.com.