Kingston residents ready for a better life

 Residents gathered at National Heroes Circle asking for peace. Representatives from both PNP and JLP were present and agreed to live peacefully. There was also a call for training and employment to occupy the members of the community.

Published Thursday, January 12, 1978

PEACE MOVE SPREADS

-FLETCHER’S LAND, ALLMAN TOWN NOW IN

THE WEST KINGSTON TRUCE of warning political factions spread yesterday afternoon to the politically volatile areas of Allman Town and Fletcher's Land in the downtown Corporate Area.

Carl 'Byia' Mitchell, representing the JLP gang, and Aston 'Buckie' Thompson of the PNP met on neutral ground at National Heroes Circle in Kingston and spoke with members of opposing camps looking on.

On Tuesday, opposing gang members from the PNP and JLP met at Oxford Street and Beeston Street and made a verbal peace treaty as a crowd of cheering hundreds chanted “we want peace”.

Historic gathering

At the small quiet but still historic gathering yesterday, Carl Mitchell said. “After this truce is for PNP and JLP to live together.

Together means walking free on the streets. It means providing prosperity in the nation. This is not political. This is from I who felt the pangs of jail."

Said Buckie Thompson. “After peace now we want to see improvement in living conditions. We want work in general and government must put more in youth programmes.”

A vocal female member of the gathering had this to say. “This is not gang truce, what we want is youth and community development.

The devil find work for idle hands.”

“Amen” an elderly voice from the gathering said.

"The gathering of people involved in political gang warfare was peaceful but we need a push-start.”

Several persons suggested the need for the establishment of more trade training centres in the ghetto areas, and in general for more youth programmes.

The suggestion was also made that there were a number of abandoned buildings in the west end that could be repaired and turned into factories or other productive enterprises.

Elsewhere on the west front, the Matthews Lane gang, who were part of the earlier peace meeting on Tuesday, have decided to volunteer their labour to set up a JAMAL centre.

Howard Thompson, the JAMAL zone officer, told The Gleaner yesterday he had met with youths from the area earlier in the morning. They had volunteered, he said, to clearing and fixing up a centre at 100 Matthews Lane.

Thompson said the youths had expressed their determination to move forward in a progressive way.

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