Gareth Davis Sr, Gleaner Writer

Chairperson of the Portland Jerk Festival Committee, Sybil Rendle, has apologised to patrons for the bottle-throwing incident last Sunday and has expressed confidence that the yearly show would go on.

"This committee apologises profusely to our committed audience," she said. "To our loyal supporters and to those who may have been to the festival for the first time, we regret the inconvenience which led to the incident."

Angry over absence

The bottle throwing began when MC Colin 'Shaka Fame' Bell announced that dancehall DJ, Beenie Man, would not be performing as advertised.

"I felt then that the festival coordinator and the MC were competent enough to handle the situation, which they did, of course, with the exception of the bottle-throwing incident. We understand the frustrations of patrons, who had every right to be upset. The jerk festival has been known to be incident free and this has been one of our calling cards," she added.

"We have always treasured the thought of providing quality entertainment and ensuring that adequate security is in place for patrons," she said.

"We will do everything possible to make sure that no such incident occurs in the future, and we are determined to preserve the integrity of this family-filled festival."