Jamaica State Of Emergency Declared
By Priyanka Roy Chowdhury, Gaea News NetworkMonday, May 24, 2010
KINGSTON, JAMAICA (GaeaTimes.com)- The government of Jamaica has declared state of emergency at certain parts of Kingston on Sunday. The state of emergency will be maintained at West Kingston and the St. Andrews district of Kingston for a month and the government also added that it might be extended afterward. The emergency was declared after the supporters of the alleged drug and arms trafficker Christopher “Dudus” Coke carried out firing at two police stations and set a third on fire. The officers on duty at the West Kingston police station that was set on fire fled the burning police station to safety. Though no police officer was killed, the Jamaica Constabulary Force reported that one police officer suffered a wound on his hand when gunfire hit him.
The Jamaica state of emergency was being anticipated for some time now and on Friday the Canada, U.S., and Britain issued travel alerts citing possible violence and unrest at many parts of Kingston. Even the local islanders were avoiding traveling to downtown Kingston. There has been a rising tension on the issue of the government decision to extradite Christopher “Dudus” Coke to the U.S. who has brought charges against him for illegal drugs and arms trafficking. Since the declaration last week, the supporters of the Kingpin have been preparing for a combat with the police by barricading the roads of Tivoli Gardens that is considered as a strong hold of Christopher Coke.
On Sunday morning the police urged Christopher Coke to surrender. They said that the barricade was a sign of “cowardice” on the part of Christopher “Dudus” Coke. However, the masked supporters then went on to prove their strength by setting the Tivoli Gardens police station on fire and leading the government to call a state of emergency.
