Petrina Francis & Ross Sheil, Gleaner Reporters
Roadblock on Grants Pen Road. - RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
CHIDING THE Government for society's ills, hundreds of angry protesters in St. Andrew took to the streets yesterday to vent their frustration.
A Gleaner news team tour of St. Andrew yesterday discovered pockets of protesters taking small but peaceful action.
At 8:00 a.m., our news team came across a protest at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Ken Hill Drive. Up to 50 protesters stood in the road holding placards denouncing the Government but politely moved aside each time the lights turned green.
"We can't take it no more, it too much," said one lady of the Government as she crossed the road to find shade.
CRITICISING GOV'T
Protesters held up a range of placards criticising the Government on various issues. Among the messages were 'JPS Robbery', 'Too many ministers accused of corruption', 'Pit toilet Government' and 'PNP first, people last'.
"Di Prime Minister seh him did a go get rid a cost sharing by dis year and mi still haffi a pay school fee, mi light bill high like cost a living," said one angry woman.
"We will use whatever means necessary to get the message across. This is just beginning as it (the protest) must send a message, whether they will respond is another question," said a militant Audley Gordon, councillor for the Hughenden division.
The Gleaner came across another protest in Duhaney Park where protesters were in good spirits and a police patrol car was parked, untroubled, nearby.
"Dis is not 'bout politics, dis is poverty," one female protester said.
"A hungry ting wi a deal wid and wi waan some a dem high prices fi roll back," she added.
Red Hills road was thoroughly blocked and, while a few gunshots were audible, few people were visible behind the barricades and even fewer remained in the streets.
In Papine, a fire burned on the Gordon Town road and approximately 50 angry protesters remonstrated against what they called 'PNP police'. One man waved a Bruce Golding badge and shouted for an election to be called now. But as before, there seemed to be no threat of violence, although one man held up a tear gas canister, which he said police had fired at the crowd.
One woman, who stood in a daze, repeatedly sang, "better must come, better must come."
