Protestors joined by US Ambassador Donald Tapia chanting ‘I cant breathe,’ -words said by the late George Floyd whose death while in the custody of the Minneapolis police has triggered worldwide protests under the black lives matter movement.
As a sign of solidarity, Jamaicans made their move by gathering in front of the US Embassy calling for change – angered by recent cases of police brutality and inhumane negligence, the killing of Susan Bogle and the death of 81 year old Noel Chambers while imprisoned for 40 years without trial.
They were armed with placards as they called for an end to police brutality and for justice to be granted to those who have been overlooked for decades.
“We need to weed out the bad cops, what about the man who died in prison, thirty-forty years in prison without trial – no trial? This is what this is about,” says a protestor.
Human rights activist Lloyd Daguilar was among the protestors- his concern primarily stems from police brutality and the 2010 Tivoli Incursion where many were killed.
“We need to do something about it. We need to follow the example of the Americans and we need to have mass protests and mass demonstrations to bring about change because the people who run this country are not doing anything.”
Many have been participating in peaceful protests calling for change and for an end to racism.
“White people you need to wake up- the same system we created years ago it is time for us to take that system right to the bottom of the ground, burn it down,” says a demonstrator.
The police were also on location to monitor the demonstration. It is expected that these protests in Jamaica will jump-start the conversation for change and that the government will address the concerns of the people.
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