Multiple social media platforms have come down hard on the account of a Colorado-based developer who used his drone to provoke and film homeless people, ultimately setting the videos to mocking music before posting them online.
Operated by Henry “Hank” Borunda, the account “BumsNDrones” garnered hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube before being removed by the platforms for policy violation and harassment. The controversial channel also received criticism from the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) which called its content “cruel” and “harmful”.
A recent Instagram video, for instance, was set to an orchestral performance of “Mexican Standoff” and showed a man on a park bench struggling to avert a drone that approached him repeatedly. In several other videos, people can be seen throwing objects at the drone or giving the flying camera the middle finger.
In a 2022 interview with Denver Westword, Borunda argued that he was “trying to shine a light” on how people experiencing homelessness live and “inspire change.” Organizations dedicated to protecting the rights of people experiencing homelessness do not agree with his claims.
As NAEH CEO Ann Oliva told Newsweek when Borunda’s channel first gained virality under a different name, “Homelessness is a national tragedy. When we mock people who experience it, we dehumanize them and send a message that their suffering does not matter. And this establishes a tolerance for cruel, violent, and coercive behavior and policies towards them. Harassment is not a form of entertainment, and social media platforms must commit to identifying and rooting out this kind of harmful content.”
Borunda is said to own at least $2 million worth of property in Pueblo, Colorado, where he filmed his drone videos. He has reportedly used his drone to harass a small business owner too while he distributed food to those experiencing homelessness.
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