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George Floyd Protests Hit Jamaica, 1000 Marched Peacefully

June 08, 2020 | By Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie |

We want Justice For Michael Gayle, Mario Dean & Susan Bogle

On Saturday June 6, 2020 a massive demonstration with an estimated crowd of 1,000 people marched past and congregated around the US Embassy in Kingston, Jamaica.  Placard bearing protestors used the opportunity to not only shine light on the brutal murder of George Floyd at the hands of 4 white police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 25th but on other forms of injustices and police excesses in Jamaica.

INDECOM

A recently released INDECOM quarterly report painted a dismal picture of police abuse. Sixty (60) percent of persons killed by police had no guns or any weapon at all and/or the police were not wearing a body camera. How do you get the truth? The Independent Commission Of Investigations (INDECOM) is an independent oversight body that investigates police shootings and their conduct. The powerful police Federation (Union) is bitterly opposed to INDECOM. There is no love lost between them both. Has this encouraged poor police conduct?

Opposition

Opposition spokes- critic on National Security, MP Fitz Jackson was in attendance representing the PNP. “We in the PNP condemn injustice in our society” declared Fitz Jackson speaking to the media.

Television footage carried the demonstration on their evening news casts. The crowd of who lined the route, onlookers, protestors and a handful of police who were seen directing traffic. There were no reported acts of violence.

PM Breaks His Silence

PM Andrew Holness has made a statement on the ongoing race related riots and demonstrations in the United States of America over the police killing of George Floyd.  As have been done by world leaders PM Holness said inter alia: “I wish to condemn the injustice meted out to George Floyd and to speak out against injustices in Jamaica.”. The PM addressed both issues at a Jamaica House press conference Friday last June 6, 2020.

Isolation Room

Gender Minister Hon. Olivia “Babsy” Grange was speaking at the funeral for Jodian Fearon who due to bundling died after delivering her baby at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital. “We need to stand up for justice for pregnant mothers. An isolation room will be commissioned soon for pregnant women” Jodian was denied admission to the Andrew’s Memorial Hospital as it was suspected that she had COVID 19. She did not have the C19 virus, test results showed later. She died while being transferred to The Spanish Town Hospital.

Criminal Investigation

A criminal investigation is underway. Two autopsies were done. One was privately undertaken by the family which showed an inconclusive result, and the other which was the official one showed cardiac arrest.

Jamaicans demonstrated as was expected … peacefully. There have been smaller ones in isolated places. We are told one is planned for the Justice Ministry next week.

Police Brutality

Police violence normally referred to as police “brutality” is rampant in Jamaica W.I. They are not necessarily race related. There is the perception that an international cancer of police excesses worldwide is alive and well.

Something needs to change.

Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie is Senior National & International Correspondent for Vision Newspaper Canada.

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