The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

WORKS Minister Clay Sweeting yesterday denounced the conduct of two individuals filmed shouting racial slurs at officials during demolition activity in Spanish Wells, describing the conduct as “repugnant”.

Several videos circulating on social media show a man and a woman confronting members of the Unregulated Community Action Taskforce during the demolition of condemned structures in a shantytown area. While the exchanges were heated and involved repeated verbal abuse, there was no physical altercation.

In one video, a man can be heard asserting ownership of a building and accusing officers of trespassing and causing damage.

“I don’t care what I was told to do, sir. You ain’t got no right. Get the f**k out. You done broke down my s**t. Now you trespassing. This is my private property. Get the (expletive) out, please,” he said.

“This is my property. This ain’t yours. This ain’t the government. This Blake Pinder’s. Leave. Come outside. Finish what you always said to do illegally.”

Another video shows a woman directing racial slurs and vulgar language at officers, including those armed with high-powered weapons, after being instructed to move away from the demolition site.

Her remarks escalated further, including: “Swing your gun at me like I swing my d**k in your mouth.”

She continued with racial insults, referring to officers as “slaves” and making derogatory comments about their worth.

Another video shows a woman wearing stained clothing shouting phrases including “work for the white man” among a group of people.

Superintendent Stephen Carey, head of the Unregulated Community Action Taskforce, later approached the man at the scene, identifying himself and explaining that notices had been issued in March 2024 requiring the removal or demolition of the structures.

Superintendent Carey said an investigation found that four structures on the property were regulated, while the remaining buildings were condemned and slated for removal. He said the man repeatedly demanded paperwork and claimed officers were at the wrong property.

Superintendent Carey said the man was ordered to remain at least 20 feet away from the operation and warned that failure to comply could result in arrest for obstruction.

The man accused one officer of assault and claimed no documentation bearing the name “Blake Pinder” had been presented.

In a statement, Mr Sweeting denounced the behaviour shown in the videos.

“I am aware of videos circulating on social media with the owners of the shantytown on Spanish Wells behaving in a manner that I can only describe as repugnant,” he said.

“It does not reflect the core values, the community spirit and the beliefs of the Spanish Wells community. I applaud the staff of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and the Ministry of Works for the professional manner in which they have been handling this situation.”

Superintendent Carey said police attend demolition sites to keep the peace and de-escalate tensions, while the Ministry of Works’ Building Control Officer holds the legal authority to order and carry out demolitions of structures that do not meet code.

He said the incident was unprecedented for the taskforce.

“With regards to the video circulating on social media, the lady, Blake Pinder’s sister, she’s upset with regards to the demolition that has taken place at this location at the time,” he said.

“The reason for her being so upset is this, here is a source of income. On numerous occasions, we have already instructed them to self-demolish, which they chose not to do.”

He added that no arrests were made.

“We did not arrest her. She’s not in custody. This is a sensitive matter. We still have a lot of other things going on right here in this village. Therefore, we chose to give her a stern warning and that seemed to be sufficient at this time.”