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The Effect of The Broadcast in West Kingston
3.40.
The Prime Minister’s broadcast had a dramatic and catalytic effect
in West Kingston and across Jamaica. Coke’s supporters began to mobilise to
prevent his arrest. Residents of West Kingston were thrown into a state of great
fear, and tension was heightened in Tivoli Gardens and West Kingston.
Mr. Golding said that in the days following the broadcast, “serious disorder
began to erupt”. During the day of 18 May, CoP Ellington received the warrant
of arrest duly signed. In his witness statement, CoP Ellington stated that “news
of the issuing of a warrant for Coke’s arrest triggered much public anxiety”.
3.41.
Under cross-examination by Lord Gifford as to whether he
(Ellington) had in mind that the security forces should have been warned at least
three days before the warrant was to be signed, CoP Ellington answered –
“We thought it was desirable for us to be able to exploit the
benefit of the element of surprise and therefore prior
information would have been beneficial. I did not tell that to
the GoJ because the way events unfolded at the time did not
give us the opportunity to do it...During February, March and
April, I did not advise the GoJ that, if they decide to issue
the warrant, they should tell me in advance. It was not a
fatal error. We had meetings with the Prime Minister and
Minister Nelson. It wasn’t desirable to tell them; they had
no obligation to tell me.”
THE PERIOD 18 – 23 MAY 2010
Situation in West Kingston and Related Areas
3.42.
DCP Hinds was of the view that the residents of Tivoli Gardens and
West Kingston used the announcement to galvanise themselves into action. He
told us –
“The residents took their cue from the broadcast and began
to block entrances and this made it very difficult for us.”