Thirty-seven years after defending Barbadians’ right to beach access in his calypso Jack, entertainment legend Anthony Mighty Gabby Carter has vowed to prevent the building of a beach club at Accra Beach, Rockley, Christ Church.
The beach club is part of the planned redevelopment of Blue Horizon Hotel at Rockley.
Facing off with the developers Thursday night, Gabby promised to take “all the people” at the town hall meeting to Accra to block any development there if necessary.
His stance drew loud cheers from close to 300 people packed into the room at Accra Beach Hotel and Spa, as the veteran calypsonian and campaigner for free access to beaches by Barbadians told chairman of Blue Tourism Inc., Bjorn Bjerkhamn, and his development team: You got me to deal with.
“I am saying to you that we, the people of Barbados, will not allow you – I say to you, collectively you – to put that restaurant on that beach . . . . That cannot happen . . . It will not happen.”
Fired up by support from the audience, Gabby added: “Tom Adams couldn’t handle me. Errol Barrow couldn’t handle me. Erskine Sandiford couldn’t handle me. David Thompson couldn’t handle me. And Jack Dear certainly couldn’t handle me.”
The 71-year-old Cultural Ambassador and activist said his was a battle to ensure that successive generations would continue to have access to beaches.
The response was overwhelming when he called out to the audience to enquire who would support him in protest action. (GC)
