Portmore mayor slams JLP supporters over meeting chaos; says he grabbed placard to 'restore order'

Portmore Mayor Leon Thomas has strongly condemned what he described as the "disorderly and disruptive actions" of Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters at Tuesday evening’s community consultation on the Government’s proposal to grant Portmore parish status.

Thomas, a member of the Opposition People's National Party (PNP), accused the JLP supporters of deliberately attempting to derail the meeting, which was convened by the Portmore City Municipality.

The mayor also sought to explain why grabbed a placard from a woman, an act caught on video.

"As the presiding officer, I took immediate steps to restore order, including removing placards from the hands of those who were deliberately creating chaos. My sole intention was to de-escalate a volatile situation and ensure that the meeting could proceed peacefully and constructively," he said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.

"As mayor, I remain committed to upholding democratic engagement and respecting everyone’s right to express their views, even in moments of heightened tension."

Thomas said the meeting was intended to provide residents with an opportunity to discuss the impending changes.

“Unfortunately, this important discussion was derailed when a group of JLP supporters, wearing green shirts bearing the names and images of MPs Alando Terrelonge and Robert Miller, stormed the meeting, aggressively brandishing placards, chanting ‘showa Labourite,’ and attempting to hijack the proceedings.”

Terrelonge and Miller are from the ruling JLP, which is pursuing the parish status. The PNP says they oppose the process being used.

The meeting, which was held at the municipality's headquarters, descended into chaos as supporters from both parties clashed verbally, prompting police intervention to restore order.

The event took place against the backdrop of growing political tensions over the Government’s move to make Portmore Jamaica’s 15th parish. The legislation was approved in the House of Representatives last week, despite strong opposition from the PNP, which has labeled the move as an act of “political gerrymandering.”

Thomas called on Terrelonge, the Member of Parliament for St Catherine East Central, and Miller, the MP for St Catherine South Eastern, as well as the JLP’s leadership, to denounce the disruption.

In a post on social media site X this morning, Terrelonge said: "All the propaganda in the world can't change the fact that there are no negatives to Portmore becoming a Parish. They can't argue facts. They can't disrupt the future of Portmore for their own political gimmicks. The word is love."

He was also heckled while responding to a question from a resident.

The PNP has been vocal in its opposition to the proposed changes, with party general secretary Dr Dayton Campbell declaring Sunday that they would “block up the whole a Jamaica and tek it to the street” in response to what he called an attempt to “steal” the local government elections.

The Government has rejected allegations of gerrymandering, arguing that the bill reflects the wishes of Portmore residents. Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie insisted that the PNP’s objections were politically motivated and would not distract from the Government’s agenda.

Mayor Thomas said the municipality would organise more discussions on Portmore’s future.

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