Political workers clash in Collet
Things got a little bit out of hand on Wednesday evening in the often volatile world of politics. I had just finished presenting the evening newscast when I discovered that my day was not quite over.
Things were quiet today on Central American Boulevard after Wednesday evening’s near riot between party supporters of Faith Babb and Remijio Montejo, the opposing standard bearers in the Collet division. The commotion apparently started after Babb’s husband and campaign workers came to the area to put up a political sign in a supporter’s yard, just opposite to the P.U.P.’s divisional office at the corner of Iguana Street and Central American Boulevard.
Joe Erales, Campaign Coordinator, P.U.P. Collet Division
“I was out there. It happened in front of our office: the P.U.P. Collet Division office. We were there every evening working and then this evening Faith Babb husband put up a sign and after he put up the sign, they bring a box and start to make a lot of music. Well we stayed in our office because we got a lot of paper work to do and so we no want no music. So we stay inside there to do our work and when they start to mek this whole lot of music, we couldn’t work and so we decided better let we play music too. So we gone and get a box and play music. We stop work now and we start to play music.”
Montejo was not in the area at the time of the incident, but Babb was just a block away campaigning on Raccoon Street.
Faith Babb, U.D.P. Standard Bearer, Collet Division
“They actually brought a box and put it outside on the street and started playing this music to counteract what was being played you know.
Now, Jackie, let me tell you something, I am about my business trying to secure my seat by getting the people to support me. I had a big team in the area this evening on Raccoon Street. By the time I reached on that street, you had some P.U.P. supporters in their “X” shirt and they came and they came right behind us, throwing phrases. I am reputable, darling, I will never stoop to calling anybody names. I told everybody who came, let’s not lose focus. We are about our own business, don’t even look at them, don’t answer them and it has been that way. They keep provoking a situation where they want some violence.”
Eamon Courtenay, Deputy National Campaign Manager, P.U.P.
“Jackie that is a ridiculous statement. It’s ridiculous because our office has been for more than a year at the corner of Iguana Street and Central American Boulevard. They were the ones who brought their music and put it across the street and blasting up songs into our office. They antagonize our workers and all we did was to get music and play back music. Louder than theirs and they could not stand it.
Eventually the police became involved and we just said to the police if you tell Faith Babb to go and turn off the music, we will do the same. They did not want to do it, so we didn’t. Hence Mr. Henderson had to come out there and cool down things.”
None of the party’s supporters were taken to police station, However Babb and Eamon Courtenay, the P.U.P. Deputy National Campaign Manager made an appearance before A.S.P. David Henderson, the Head of Patrol Branch last night at the police station on Queen Street.
Faith Babb
“We sat in there and they explained to me that he is in the middle of the road, which I will never ask any police to compromise him or herself, and I assured him that as long as they do not provoke a situation, there will be peace. We never had any kind of unrest in that division.”
Q: “Should we take this minor incident as a sign that things may erupt as the election day draws nearer?”
Eamon Courtenay
“It seems as if they are getting desperate. I don’t know what type of measure they are doing by coming and playing music in front of our office. All we can say is that our campaign is going very well in the Collet division.”
While at this time it was a case of people’s feelings that got hurt, Wednesday’s incident nevertheless demonstrates just how highly charged this election campaign has become. It is understood that leaders of both parties are asking their people to cool it.
