Heated Standoff between Bethsalem Maroons and Police
The Bethsalem Maroon community is demanding an explanation from the Jamaican state, following a video of a heated exchange between a group of Maroons and members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). The Maroons have accused the police of extorting farmers on their land and taking their crops.
Both parties had guns the situation could have escalated into an armed conflict.
In a subsequent release, the Maroons are alleging it is the second time they are being confronted by the police and they consider it a violation of their sovereignty.
They then questioned the legitimacy of the operation and whether the men were members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. The Corporate Communications Unit of the JCF says the police were carrying out an operation targeting illegal Ganja cultivation.
The Maroons maintain that the community is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Indigenous Maroon Government. Investigations are underway to determine if the gun seen in the video is legal.
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