Opposition Leader Jamal Pringle says his tent at Morris Bay was the only structure destroyed during this week’s enforcement operation, calling the action a politically driven attempt to intimidate him after his criticism of the government in Parliament.
Pringle told Observer AM that although several vendors along the beach received notices from the Development Control Authority (DCA), “nothing else… was touched except the removal of the tent that I had there.”
He said workers informed him the instruction was not to dismantle the commercial-grade, collapsible tent but to “break it down,” despite it having no foundation and posing no environmental risk.
The opposition leader described the action as “politically motivated,” asserting that Prime Minister Gaston Browne had signaled in Parliament—during Pringle’s budget debate presentation—that the tent would be torn down. He said the selective enforcement demonstrated how “state power” can be used to “oppress people,” adding that legality should not be confused with fairness.
Pringle also pointed to his involvement in maintaining Morris Bay as evidence that the facility was a community service rather than a personal enterprise.
He said he spent roughly EC$12,000 clearing the beach, contracted workers weekly to keep the area clean, and built a public restroom that he donated to Old Road residents. The tent, he added, was primarily used to support locals who operated small activities at the site.
He maintains the destruction was intended to punish him for speaking out, but said he would not be deterred.
“We will stand firm and resolute,” he said, arguing that the episode reflects a broader pattern of governance where ordinary people risk being “oppressed through law” rather than protected by it.
