Cultural ambassador and seasoned calypsonian Anthony Carter ‘aka’ The Mighty Gabby lead a protest against the privatisation of Crane beach Barbadose. Photo Crdit: Barbados Today

He warned the owner of Crane Resort, Paul Doyle that Barbadians would not stand for “the complete disrespect” that the hotelier had shown after he evicted two vendors earlier this month.

The Crane Resort took the beach chairs belonging to the vendors and locked them in a container.

Noting that privatisation has been an issue that has plagued the island since the 1980s, Gabby said he had a message for the “Doyles of Barbados and the Caribbean”.

“This is not just about this beach, this is about protecting what is Barbadian heritage, what is ours and I want to send this message to [Paul] Doyle he is a little Canadian boy in my book,” Gabby said.

“He disrespected not only me, but he disrespected this country because look what he did to our vendors. He locked up the stuff they had to work with. What arrogance is that? If we went and took his stuff away, what would he say? . . .  He wouldn’t like it and the police would tell us we can’t do it.”

Gabby argued that the National Conservation Commission Act needed to be reviewed.

“That law is an antiquated law. . .  . I say we need to change it now so that the law states that the first grain of sand belongs to us … .  That they [hoteliers] must never have the right again to have their properties down to the high water mark,” he stressed.

Also in attendance were leader of the Barbados Integrity Movement, Neil Holder; Barbados Labour Party candidate for St Philip South, Indar Weir and activist and attorney-at-law David Comissiong.