'Free up the dance' - Fletcher's Land youth want to have fun again

Typical of most inner-city communities, residents in the western Kingston constituency of Fletcher's Land depend largely on their internal systems to create for themselves. These include the wildly popular roadside parties and round-robin series of entertainment.

Now, weary of a clampdown by the police in light of the flare-up of violence that resulted in several residents being murdered, and which reached its peak in 2014, community members in a section of the community called 'Diplomats Corner' are asking that the lawmen "free up" the parties.

"Those things are no more. They came to a halt because of the violence. But to how the police a behave even now that we have peace, we can't get a bligh. Because as you put on a little boom box, dem come for it," said Junior, a man in his 20s.

No More Fun

He told a Gleaner RISE Life Management On The Corner with Unattached Youths Forum that the while the role of the police is critical in maintaining the peace, it has also effectively stopped them from holding social events like the popular roadside parties.

"The popular 'Chicken Back Friday' and other colourfully themed parties are no more. They died a natural death because of violence that broke out in the community. On top of that, now that we have been having peace and everything nice again, we still are not allowed to have these parties. Maybe the police think that it will cause violence. We nuh know, but I want them to know we will do everything to uphold the peace, but we want to be able to have our parties," Junior said.

Although they are able to hold parties at a certain venue in the community, it comes with a cost that many of them are not able to afford.

"Is not like we fighting against the police, but we wish that they would just ease up a little. Not that we want a return to war, but just that we can enjoy ourselves a little. Because we understand that once you have violence you gonna have some restrictions and we don't have a problem with rules and laws," said Junior.

'Ease up a little'

In addition to that, they complain that because of the peace they have been able to enjoy for the past five months, they are now able to attend parties in communities that were once at odds with them, but complained that the tight police strategy is strangling their ability to keep parties on their turf.

"How it look? We can go party wherever we want right now because the peace strong, but we still cannot have one street dance in Fletcher's Land? That's not right; it's the only thing that many youths can enjoy," said Jermaine Williams.

Residents told The Gleaner that police are always on the lookout for sound boxes and have moved to seize them whenever they feel like.

"Right now, they have about three (boom boxes) up by the police station. It is causing concern because the youth dem hungry, and if dem can't have fun because they love the music, what is the police asking of them?"

paul.clarke@gleanerjm.com