PNP: Crowd sends strong message
Published:Monday | September 20, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter
People's National Party (PNP) President Portia Simpson Miller has declared that the sea of orange that converged on the National Arena yesterday was a message to the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) that the island's people want to see the back of the Golding administration.
Thousands of supporters who turned up at the National Arena for the PNP's 72nd annual conference were locked out as the police said they could find little space to fit them. Police estimated that about 12,000 people were inside the arena, well in excess of its 8,000 capacity, while another 15,000 were outside.
"This is by far the grandmother of all conferences," Simpson Miller said at the start of her address yesterday.
"It is a message and a signal; the People's National Party is ready."
Mad rush
It all began minutes after noon when the Comrades who had lined up at the single entrance began losing patience and attempted to push past police who were searching persons entering the arena. Despite attempts by the police to maintain order at the entrance, many forced themselves against the gate, hoping to be allowed inside. A few were successful, though some suffered bruises and others lost eyeglasses and slippers in the process.
"PNP people a tell Labourites seh we done wid dem," one St Mary man said breathlessly after he had forced his way inside.
"We need fi move it go ova stadium so we can hol' de people dem," another woman said.
The actions of the crowd forced the police to close the gate, but not before at least 200 people rushed past them unchecked. Police threatened to use batons and a few held on to their guns as they attempted to restore order.
The chaos forced PNP Chairman Robert Pickersgill and a host of other party functionaries into action. Among those summoned was former Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas, the candidate for North West St Ann.
Medical aid needed
But not even Thomas' best effort at crowd control could soothe the situation.
Basil Waite, Luther Buchanan, Ronald Thwaites and Damion Crawford all failed.
Dr Morais Guy, the MP for Central St Mary, and Dr Patrick Harris of North Trelawny were called on to provide medical attention to one of three persons who fainted.
Simpson Miller barely got past the swarm of orange as her security detail had difficulty getting her past the crowd that was shouting her name and was determined to get a glimpse or a touch.
In their bid to get Simpson Miller into the arena safely, the security team inadvertently left her husband, Errald, behind, forcing him to work his way through the tight space at the gate.
Pickersgill later told The Gleaner that the police were asked to conduct body searches on everyone entering the arena but could not properly do so because of the crowd crush.
He also said "the capacity of the arena to hold the people was a serious concern", and that led to the gates being closed.