By Glenroy Sinclair, Staff ReporterDESPITE BEING repeatedly tear-gassed, pockets of brazen residents from Tawes Pen and Elleslie Pen in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, pelted police personnel with stones yesterday, day two of a mass demonstration which started Monday night.
The massive demonstration was reportedly triggered by the arrest on Monday of a man who is deemed to be one of the community leaders in Elleslie Pen.
"He was wanted in connection with a case of shooting which took place in January," Supt. Clifford Blake, Commanding Officer for the St. Catherine north division told The Gleaner.
However, the residents who demanded the release of their community leader, who they identified as 'Bun Man', claimed he was innocent of the charges laid against him by the police.
Shortly after he was picked up on Monday night, Supt. Blake said residents mounted several roadblocks in and around the old capital. This resulted in a pile up of traffic on the major thoroughfares.
'CAT AND MOUSE'
It was like a 'cat and mouse' game yesterday, as each time the police removed the debris from sections of Wellington Street, within seconds the street was blocked again by residents, who kept hiding behind the zinc fences and high-rise buildings.
The situation took a turn for the worse about noon when a large contingent of police deployed from the Special Anti Crime Task Force (SACTF), Mobile Reserve and the Spanish Town Police Station went into the area to restore calm.
Apart from throwing stones, residents used sling-shots to fire at the police, who responded by firing tear gas in the direction from where the missiles were hurled.
Innocent children caught up in the demonstration were heard crying for help as the smoke hurt their eyes. Several women who denounced the stone throwing, were heard pleading with the police to stop firing the tear gas cylinders as their young children were being affected.
At press time yesterday, Supt. Blake said the roadblocks were cleared, but the area remained tense.
A deputy superintendent of police attached to one of the special units in Kingston, said he was attacked and bitten by a woman, whose son the police had asked to assist them in clearing the roadblocks.
"The woman just grabbed on to my hand and bite me here," said the officer, pointing to the fingers on his right hand.
