By Damion Mitchell, Staff ReporterSEVERAL CLARENDON businesses were forced to pull down their shutters yesterday as persons who, according to the police, had criminal intent, attempted to capitalise on a protest along Seven's Road in the parish capital May Pen.
The demonstration began about 6:30 a.m. with the blocking of the road, after several vendors who sell from a bus terminus adjacent to the May Pen market turned up to find that their stalls had been demolished.
According to the vendors, they were upset because they were not notified that the destruction would take place, but more so because only one day before the exercise they had paid their daily market fees to the Clarendon Parish Council.
Superintendent Terrence Bent, the commanding officer for Clarendon, told The Gleaner yesterday that the police were pursuing investigations to identify the individuals who disrupted the commercial efforts.
At least one person who was involved in the demonstration has been arrested for using expletives.
"We have them recorded on video tape and still pictures and we will be making prosecutions," the commanding officer said.
DEMOLITION
In the meantime, Milton Brown, Mayor of May Pen, said he was not aware that a demolition was scheduled for yesterday morning.
"It is either it is not felt that I need to know or somebody is seeking to embarrass the Council," he said, noting that a meeting had been scheduled for this morning between the police; Adassa Morgan, secretary/manager of the May Pen Parish Council; Winston Kelly, Superintendent of Road and Works and Mike Henry, Member of Parliament for Clarendon Central, to review the issue.
And according to Mr. Brown someone will be held accountable for ordering the demolition.
"If they are working outside of the approach of the Council, we will have to deal with them," he said.
Yesterday, Superintendent Bent reported that André Wiltshire, the commercial services manager employed to the Parish Council, had requested security for workmen who would be executing the demolition.
In the meantime, the vendors are demanding compensation for their losses.
Anthony Lyons, 35, said if this did not happen, it would be extremely difficult for him to send his child to school in the next two weeks when school reopens for the new school year.
And Hughroy Anderson said he would not be able to resume any income-generating activities without a compensation for his losses. But Mayor Brown said before any compensation can be made it must be proven that vendors had actually lost materials in the demolition exercise.
