Residents join in as Portmore churches march for children

Scores of children and adults from the Calvary Wesleyan Holiness Church in Seven East, Greater Portmore, and Fresh Fire Ministries, from the neighbouring Old Braeton community of Reid's Pen, along with residents of the surrounding communities, marched through sections of Greater Portmore and Old Braeton on Sunday afternoon to protest the recent spate of violence against children.

Under the theme 'Let's Take Back Our Children for God', the marchers - led by the Portmore Catholic Panthers Marching Band - bore banners and placards and called upon citizens to "Break the silence", "Protect our children", "Stop child abuse", and "Stop killing our children".

Many residents joined the march, dancing and singing along as the band played songs like Bob Marley's One Love, Whitney Houston's Greatest Love of All, and a slew of Jamaican gospel choruses.

STRONG SOLIDARITY

One resident of the Reid's Pen community was heard expressing strong solidarity with the message of the marchers, as she joined the procession, shouting, "Yes! A dat we a say! Leave the pickney dem mek dem prosper!"

The more than two-hour-long march stopped at intervals, where the Reverend Calvin Brown, organiser of the march, gathered the children of the community and invited evangelists Novlene Brown and Norine Johnson to speak with them and parents before offering prayers for them as well as the community.

The march was planned by the Calvary Wesleyan Holiness Church in celebration of the church's seventh anniversary and in observance of Child Month.