Man Tries to Tear Down Statue of Christopher Columbus
Police arrested a man on Saturday afternoon after he destroyed the statue of Christopher Columbus on Government House at Mt Fritz Williams.
The unidentified man is seen in videos, breaking down the statue with a sledgehammer. The man was also in possession of a bulletproof vest.
He was arrested for damage to government property and unlawful possession.
In the video, he is heard yelling, “I’m bringing him down. Let’s go Bahamas…You destroyed this land…You’ll want to see more…Let’s go, baby. Let’s go Bahamas.”
He then climbs atop the monument, poses in front of the statue and stares up at Columbus, as passersby take pictures.
After he was arrested by police, he squirms on the ground and quotes biblical scriptures, telling the police that he destroyed the statue for “my country.”
In recent times, Columbus became a contentious figure, accused of destroying the indigenous people and helping to colonize the Bahamas.
Last year, with the heightened issue of racism in the United States with the killing of George Floyd, PLP supporters called for the removal of Columbus from Mt Fritz Williams.
Rev Sabastian Campbell and Latrae Rahming, who was recently appointed to the Office of the Press Secretary, said Bahamians were too docile, needed to be “more radical” and demand the removal of Columbus.
