Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
A PLETHORA of slogan-shouting and placard-bearing people, including scores of children, were among the hundreds of protesters who turned out in support of the west Kingston leg of the Jamaica Labour Party-led islandwide demonstration yesterday.
It was painfully evident that some of the placard-bearing children were clueless as to why they were out there. But, they were obviously enjoying themselves. "We waan gah school!" yelled a little girl. When asked why she could not go to school, young Kayan said, "Because no bus is driving."
However, with a little prompting from an adult, she managed to say that she could not afford the bus fare.
Roadblocks were mounted in almost every community in West Kingston including Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town. Spanish Town Road was also impassable, as it was blocked at several sections with debris of every sort. This, despite instructions from Opposition Leader Bruce Golding and Member of Parliament for West Kingston, that blocking of roads was prohibited. Nevertheless, Mr. Golding praised his constituents for their peaceful demonstration.
The protest forced a complete closure of the commercial district in downtown Kingston. The business borough resembled a ghost town. Persons caught downtown were seemingly in haste to get out.
The bulk of the protesters, who gathered along Spanish Town Road in the vicinity of the Denham Town High School, displayed controlled anger as they expressed their displeasure with the recent hike in utility rates and called for the removal of the ruling People's National Party Government.
SITUATION COULD GET UGLIER
A mother of six, who gave her name as 'X', pledged that if the Government does not respond favourably to the pleas being echoed by the protesters, the situation would get uglier.
"Well, if the Government don't gi wi answer by now or later, tomorrow ah coulda worse ting than all dis to," she said. "It look like a revolution affi go bruk and tings affi go gwaan cause we caan deal wid it. We affi go do like weh Marcus Garvey seh, if a head affi role a head affi go role."
However, at least one lady was not happy with the timing of the protest. The Trench Town resident, who was walking with her daughter along Spanish Town Road, was mad because her daughter, a fourth grader at St. Anne's Primary School, was robbed of the opportunity to enjoy the second day of the new school year. "I agree they should (demonstrate), but not at this time," she said. "To be frank, I don't like this thing knowing that she is going to school and it affects the children most," she added.
