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Major Mahatma Williams and the Combat Support Battalion
4.61.
The specific task of the Combat Support Battalion (CSB) led by
Maj. Williams was to find Coke and escort him “to a pre-designated point”. The
areas of concentration for the CSB were Java and areas east of the Tivoli
Gardens Comprehensive High School. The targets of the CSB were Levy Path and
Derek Path. It took them an hour on foot to reach those destinations whereas,
in normal circumstances, such a journey would have lasted less than 10 minutes.
4.62.
Maj. Williams’ Battalion halted at the UDC Car Park to do last
minute checks and to allow the other elements of 2JR to get in place. When the
Battalion did leave the UDC Car Park, they proceeded along Marcus Garvey Drive
to its intersection with Industrial Terrace. The first barricade they encountered
was “where the train lines cross at Industrial Terrace”.
4.63.
Maj. Williams recounted in his witness statement the attacks which
his unit encountered at paras.30-34:
“30. There were multiple roadblocks; the first being at the
railway crossing on Industrial Terrace. As the unit slowed
down to allow the front end loader and APCs to clear the
first blockage, a coordinated barrage of gunfire as per an
ambush came from the Tivoli Gardens buildings off to our
northeast and the open lot to the east.
31. Harassing gunfire was also coming from the direction
of Universal Freight Handlers.
32. Overall, the bullets were mainly hitting the asphalt
and a low wall to the east of us. Trees in the open lot were
also being hit. The sandbags on the vehicles were hit and
as a result their contents emptied out.
33. The firing from Universal Freight Handlers disrupted
the movement of the support elements of the unit but was
not significant enough to warrant being cleared. Up to this
point my unit had suffered no casualties except for a few
people who were suffering from heat related injuries.