- Norman Grindley/Staff Photographer
Residents of Southside and Tel-Aviv in Central Kingston, came out in droves yesterday to support the unity march for peace in the community
Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter
TRADITIONAL GANG rivals and competing community leaders from Tel-Aviv and Southside in Central Kingston, shook hands and embraced each other in a peace march through the community yesterday as they made a public commitment to end long-standing disputes.
Led by People's National Party (PNP) Member of Parliament, Victor Cummings, and Jamaican Labour Party (JLP) Councillor for the Rae Town Division, Rosalie Hamilton, scores of placard-bearing people marched through the streets of the community, with the women in particular dancing and singing loudly: "Give peace a chance".
Some said it was the first time in 10 years that they had had an opportunity to cross over into either community and talk with schoolmates, friends and relatives.
Two area leaders popularly known as 'Chubby Dread' from Southside and 'Pepsi' of Tel-Aviv walked side by side during the march.
Both young and elderly women supported the peace initiative in the area where the police have imposed a curfew since last May to combat the spate of murders and other crimes.
They expressed the hope that it would last but were also concerned that some of the men from the various "corners" who were believed to be involved in conflicts were absent from the march.
Yesterday's unity march was proposed by Member of Parliament, Victor Cummings. He said after the police set up the command post in the Tel-Aviv community, a programme was implemented to bring the rival factions together.
"With the help of Mr. Francis Kennedy and Frances Madden, I got the corner leaders from Tel-Aviv and Southside to began meeting every other Monday," explained Mr. Cummings.
He said each of these leaders are in contact with each other and when there is a problem they try to work it out.
"Our next step is to expand this programme to other areas of the constituency," the Member of Parliament said. "Very soon we will be starting a skills accessment programme and invite HEART Trust in the area."
