Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) has faced strong criticism after cautioning Prime Minister Andrew Holness against comments that could incite state-sanctioned killings. JFJ's Executive Director Mickel Jackson expressed concern that the PM's remarks, following a deadly attack in Clarendon, could be misinterpreted and lead to further harm. Despite backlash from government figures and social media users labelling JFJ as "criminal sympathisers", the organisation remains steadfast in advocating for the rule of law and cautioning against police excesses.

Gayle blames factionalism for JFJ backlash

Lobby defends activism amid criticism and threats

Jamaica Gleaner/16 Aug 2024/Kimone Francis/ Senior Staff Reporter

THE BLOWBACK human rights watchdog Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) has received after cautioning Prime Minister Andrew Holness against inciting state-sanctioned killings is as a result of Jamaicans being “segmentary factional”, social anthropologist Dr Herbert Gayle has concluded.

Gayle, a University of the West Indies lecturer, said citizens have got themselves trapped in a binary of always choosing one or the other.

“Labourite and Comrade, Gully and Gaza; any foolishness you can come up with, they get themselves trapped in without taking the time to think about it,” Gayle said of the mounting criticisms against the body.

Holness, who on Monday said the criminals responsible for mur- dering eight people and injuring 10 in Cherry Tree Lane Clarendon on Sunday must “meet a judge or their maker”, was subsequently cautioned by JFJ, which said there were dan- gerous undertones in his comment.

JFJ Executive Director Mickel Jackson said the government should come up with solutions to the country’s crime epidemic without compromising the integrity of Jamaica’s justice system.

However, the caution was met with aversion from Government Senator Abka Fitz-Henley and social media users, the latter calling the rights body “criminal sympathisers”.

Fitz-Henley said JFJ should be careful about the message it is sending to perpetrators of violent crime.

A SENSE OF ‘DUALITY’

In assessing the discourse, Gayle said citizens’ response to JFJ is “tricky”, noting that there is also a sense of “duality” where they may pretend to support the govern- ment or JFJ but in actuality they are just noisemakers and do not truly mean it.

“We’re very good with theatre … Jamaican people can be whipped up into a frenzy very easily and they take a side,” he said.

Gayle said Holness’ response to Sunday’s gun attack is the way a big brother or father would respond if something happens to a sibling or a child.

“The whole of them going to get punished and so forth, but I’m certain, if somebody should have a deeper conversation with the prime minister, he would have said ‘within the law’, and that came later in his comments. There was a lot of emotion coming out,” he said.

Still, Gayle said JFJ has a right to be concerned with the state- ment, noting that Jamaica is one of few countries globally that had an increase in state violence during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said this indicates that the State can over-suppress.

However, he said the real problem is Jamaicans’ inability to mature politically to examine both the prime minister’s and JFJ’s positions and come up with a reasonable position.

The university lecturer said the system offers four bars of central political authority. At the base are the media, the Church, non-gov- ernmental organisations, and watchdogs which must operate according to their mandate.

He said these groups cannot be silenced or directed on when to speak.

“You can’t tell any of these groups that make up civil society or the base of the central political authority that they must not operate, because, in their absence, who is going to pro- tect you?” he questioned.

The second group, Gayle said, are the police. He described them as the face of the state who must operate within the Constitution.

“The group above them are the judiciary, and part of the problem with suppression is that quite often the judiciary doesn’t get to act. People don’t get to be taken before the court and sentenced, which is what goes on in a civil democracy,” he said, noting that democracies have boundaries within which they act.

“At the top of the central political authority are the legislature. The base must be treated with some respect and have to have a mandate to protect people, irre- spective of who they are … people have to understand that every single person has a job to do,” he said.

Jackson, in condemning violence and extending condolences to the families of victims of the Clarendon massacre, said JFJ recognised that there is never an appropriate moment to advocate against police excesses and state abuses.

She said that, having raised serious concerns regarding the prime minister’s comments, which the

body stands by, “we ask, when should we have spoken?

“Should we wait on possible negative outcomes to occur before speaking? Do we wait on increased police-involved fatalities before we speak? Our commitment to principled advocacy remains steadfast; we exhibit genuine empathy to victims of crimes. However, it is crucial that political correctness and public relations do not dictate our approach. Upholding the rule of law must always be our guiding principle,” she said.

Jackson maintained Holness’ comment was inappropriate, as it risks being misinterpreted and has the potential to incite further harm and misunderstanding within the community.

She said such statements can have far-reaching negative consequences that undermine the very fabric of justice Jamaica strives to uphold.

“For example, already we have seen people showing videos and pictures of people killed by the police and social media users clapping and applauding the prime minister’s comments of meeting their makers. This reflects the concerns we have,” said Jackson.

She said JFJ was disappointed by the “dog whistle politics” exercised by political leaders that call the organisation criminal rights activists.

She said it has led to people calling the organisation, making threats and hurling “nasty” comments at the staff.

“But we will not be deterred. I urge all well-thinking Jamaicans to understand that the State cannot break the law to uphold the law. I also ask Jamaicans to understand that supporting the rights of all Jamaicans is not the same as supporting criminality.

“I urge Jamaicans not to conflate police absolute right to self-defence when confronted by armed gunmen with those who ignore the law. Remember the names of Matthew Lee and Nakeia Jackson, so many others, who were killed by the State and still have got no justice,” she said.

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