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“I destroyed the Sagicor fence” said no-one
By Kieron Murdoch | Opinion Contributor
Take a drive down Factory Road. Notice that the perimeter fence surrounding the Sagicor property is still in ruin, having been destroyed during this year’s Carnival. More than a month has passed, and we find ourselves wondering whether there will be any accountability for the rather brazen destruction of private property. The absence of accountability sends the wrong message. Still, you may ask, who should be accountable?
In answering that question, we must recap the events leading up to and including the damage. Sagicor installed razor wire along some length of its perimeter fence in the days leading up to T-shirt mas on Saturday, July 27th. The roll of razor wire, running along the centre and not the top of the fence, attracted the attention of the public and sparked some level of debate.
In this debate, some saw the move by Sagicor as reasonable to deter intrusion upon its property while others saw it as dangerous and excessive. Some said revellers had a habit of climbing on, bracing on, dancing on, whining on and gyrating on the said fence. Others suggested people merely leaned or sat on the fence.
The Development Control Authority (DCA), taking notice of the razor wire, issued an enforcement notice on Friday, July 26th, citing Sagicor for breach of the Physical Planning Act by carrying out “development without a permit”. It instructed that the wire be removed, stating “This razor wire presents a danger to the general public, especially in light of the anticipated surge in pedestrian traffic along this road during the next two weeks.”
As news of the enforcement notice circulated, many commented online. The reaction that drew our attention most was that of the Prime Minister Gaston Browne, whose proclivity for social media commentary has been notable over the past decade. On Friday, July 26th, at 9:26 PM, he posted to Facebook:
“I felt that there was something grotesque about them overreacting to revellers sitting or standing on their fence during carnival. Instead of subjecting carnival revellers (some of whom may be your customers) to danger; if the fence gets dirty, wash it or paint it. You can afford it.”
On the morning of Saturday, July 27th, Sagicor complied with the order. On the afternoon of July 27th, amidst the t-shirt mas parade, several groups of revellers from more than one troupe caused severe damage to the fence. Footage showed throngs of people pulling the fence down in a series of soca-fuelled, dry humping, drunken stupors. In at least one instance, they were egged on by a particular DJ who encouraged them to “done the fence!” On Sunday, July 28th, the crowds had passed and the fence lay in utter ruin.
So, who ought to be accountable?
Firstly, while there were many questionable actions that lead up to this point, primary responsibility must lie with the individuals who actually destroyed the fence – their drunken stupor being no excuse. The worrying thing however, is that despite such a public act of disorder and vandalism, no one appears to have been held responsible for breaking the law (as far as we know).
We do not know if a complaint was made with the police, but it would certainly have been advisable. Speaking on Monday, July 29th, the Commissioner of Police, Atlee Rodney said the police were obligated to investigate if a complaint is lodged but stopped short of saying that the police intended to pursue the matter regardless.
“We have to work with the owners. Are they going to make an official report? Are they going to work with us? Hopefully they will make a report and if they make a report we will be pursuing the matter,” he said, calling the destruction of the fence “very unfortunate”. Speaking on Twin Island Media 94.1 FM, he noted that police officers had earlier in the day ushered revellers away from the same, but this was earlier. Assumably, officers were not there when subsequent bands passed, and the wanton destruction began.
We hope that Sagicor will – if they have not already – test the Commissioner’s word, and lodge a formal complaint. We would argue though, that the absence of a complaint does not prevent the police from taking action when evidence of a crime exists.
Were we, the good hardworking staff at antigua.news, to suddenly lose our minds one morning, and venture into St. John’s and be caught ripping down the fence of someone’s property while dry humping each other and knocking back bottles of English Harbour, the police would surely be summoned and it is highly likely we would all be arrested and charged with offences related to public disorder and vandalism. The same would happen to you.
So, why pray tell, does it become virtually acceptable to do the same thing during a mas parade while intoxicated and while gyrating to booming music amidst Carnival? Does crime become legal during carnival? Worse, the revellers committed the act brazenly, laughing it off as a joke. And if we’re being honest, why shouldn’t they? If they endure no consequence for deliberate vandalism of property in broad daylight under the guise of fun, then why shouldn’t they take it as a joke?
Secondly, some level of responsibility must also lie with the bands themselves. From a legal point of view, they will always argue that they cannot be held responsible for the individual actions of their members. There is clear logic to this. For example, if you ran a mas band, and two revellers in your paraphernalia broke into a nearby school and stole computers, would it be reasonable for you to be held accountable? Of course not. Not unless it could be shown that you conspired with them to engage in such unlawful behaviour.
Still, it is beyond time that bands take more seriously the issue of discouraging reckless, destructive, and unlawful behaviour. Do they not hire security? Where are your security personnel when your band members are destroying private property in a drunken stupor? Of the multiple bands whose members were seen climbing on, pulling down, and twisting apart the Sagicor fence, only one – Myst Carnival – had the modicum of shame necessary to address the issue publicly.
“Myst Carnival has noted with concern and regret the damage done to Sagicor’s fence during the T-shirt mas on Saturday 28th July 2024. We want to make it unequivocally clear that we do not condone or support any form of vandalism or destructive behaviour. We consider the actions of the individuals to be unacceptable behaviour which does not reflect the values or principles of Myst Carnival,” it wrote in part, in a statement posted to Facebook on Monday, July 29th.
The statement itself does little to repair the damage, and it effectively distances the band from responsibility. It, and absence of any others altogether, leaves us to conclude that higher standards must be demanded of bands.
Thirdly, accountability must lie with DJs and band managers on site at the time. Correct us if we are wrong, but in none of the videos which showed revellers from various troupes damaging the fence, did you hear the absence of music. This is to say, that despite the fact that band members were clearly engaged in reckless destruction of private property, the bands kept playing.
Common sense alone should dictate that if you are a DJ/band manager hired by a band, and you see a throng of your members gyrating to the music and doing damage to someone’s property, that you would stop the music and instruct them to cease. Nothing brings a festive mood to a halt like the abrupt cessation of music.
Additionally, where an agent or an employee of a band encourages behaviour which causes damage or financial loss, is there not a case to make that the band be responsible? Think back to the DJ (employee of the band) heard in one video commanding revellers repeatedly to “done the fence”. The defence of saying that your band is not responsible for the actions of individual members gets much weaker if your employees are inciting them.
Additionally, besides the revellers, the DJs, the managers, and the bands, the debate that followed the destruction of the fence also encompassed a flurry of opinions of the action of the DCA and the comment of the Prime Minister.
We think it is surely reasonable that the DCA be empowered to regulate such things as the erection of fences and the installation of anti intrusion measures such as razor wire. For example, were someone to install razor wire along the centre line of their fence which runs parallel to a sidewalk heavily used by school children, we would expect the DCA to order them to remove it due to public safety concerns.
So, the issue is not that the authority to regulate such things exists. The issue is how that authority is used. Where is the rule book? Where are the 15 stipulations that have been made as to the installation of anti-intrusion measures explaining what is, and is not permissible? Does such a thing exist? Or is the correctness or incorrectness determined on a case by case basis? Under what circumstances is someone allowed to install razor wire? In what circumstances are they forbidden from doing so? Are those rules written down anywhere?
Notices usually refer quite broadly to “development without a permit” in relation to Section IV of the Physical Planning Act. To be honest, that is pretty vague and unhelpful. The DCA could do itself a favour by taking the time to better reference the provisions supporting its decisions when it issues orders, particularly those that are likely to become the subject of public controversy.
Its recent foray into the removal of politically offensive billboards with notices similarly saying “development without a permit” served only to diminish its credibility. It now must contend with a public that is far more sceptical of the motives behind any enforcement notice.
As regards the Prime Minister, we think it reasonable to conclude that he erred by striking a rather dismissive tone in his Facebook comment on Friday, July 26th, when he wrote: “I felt that there was something grotesque about them overreacting to revellers sitting or standing on their fence during carnival. Instead of subjecting carnival revellers (some of whom may be your customers) to danger; if the fence gets dirty, wash it or paint it. You can afford it.”
He seemed to underestimate the potential damage being guarded against. While it would be unreasonable to suggest that he incited anyone, or encouraged unlawfulness, his comment arguably served to bolster the sense of entitlement which some residents feel they have during Carnival to do as they like (on other people’s property) without due regard for the laws which govern us year round.
Is a property owner any less entitled to secure their property from damage and degradation at Carnival time as compared to the rest of the year? Does participating in revelry give anyone a special permit to diminish, damage, dirty, or destroy any part of anyone’s property? How can you be entitled to use a person’s private property against their wishes? It is their property.
How then can the nation’s leader make a statement that endorses persons “sitting on” or “standing on” private property (Sagicor’s fence) which the property owner has shown a clear desire to prevent? Suggesting to residents that they ought to be free to sit on and stand on someone else’s private property against that person’s wishes, and then saying that the property owner can afford to “wash it or paint it” if it is degraded, is a display of contempt for the property owner.
Which of us could carry a procession of revellers past the Prime Minister’s home, sit and stand on his fence, so as to dirty it, degrade it, or damage it, and then say to him, “Wash it or paint it. You can afford it.” Would that not be utterly contemptible behaviour? It would be.
Which throng of revellers could be entitled to sit or stand on the fence at the Prime Minister’s Office so as to dirty or degrade it, and expect to tell the government (the taxpayers), “Wash it or paint it. You can afford it.” Would that not also be utterly contemptible behaviour? It would be.
Ultimately, we must ask ourselves what lessons can be learned from this episode, and what message has been sent. From all appearances (though we stand to be corrected) there has been a marked lack of accountability for what transpired. During Carnival it is easy to become consumed with a sense of freedom and relaxed inhibition, but this does not excuse reckless and unlawful behaviour. Until individuals face the consequences of their actions and are no longer able to use the fact that they were participating in revelry as a shield, this sort of thing will surely repeat itself.
About the writer:
Kieron Murdoch worked as a journalist and later as a radio presenter in Antigua and Barbuda for eight years, covering politics and governance especially. He is an opinion contributor at antigua.news. If you have an opinion on the issues raised in this editorial and you would like to submit a response by email to be considered for publication, please email staff@antigua.news.
The organizers of the Mas troupe must be held solely accountable. Murdoch’s not surprising attempts to draw the PM into this side-show have and will fail. In pretty much the same way that party organizers and parents will be held accountable for the actions of minors under their control, the destruction of Sagicor’s fence must rest squarely at the feet of the Mas organizers whose employees directed its clients to conduct themselves in a manner that led to the destruction of the fence.
Mr. Murdoch did not attempt to draw the PM into this sideshow. The PM, quite effectively, put himself into it by publicly commenting on it.
Accountability is lacking in this nation. We have a do as you like culture here. Whether the revellers themselves or the mas bands, someone ought to pay up or face a fine or something. Too many property owners have to worry about what drunk revellers will do to their fences during Carnival. It won’t stop until someone is made accountable. As usual, the PM put his foot in his mouth, that’s nothing new.
They did sagicor wrong,they have a right to protect their fence
Well said,being drunk is not an excuse sagicor,but I’m yet to see or hear sagicor say anything they need to take action before it’s to late this behaviour will only continue