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The one-man demonstrator
'No taxes without a plan to better Jamaica'
BY DESMOND ALLEN Executive editor - operations allend@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, December 20, 2009
HE calls himself "Mr Yellow", insisting that yellow -- which is in the Jamaican flag -- "is the most hopeful colour and symbolises a brighter future".
This was what the university Masters student said he was fighting for when he staged his one-man demonstration last Thursday outside Gordon House in downtown Kingston, where Finance Minister Audley Shaw was unwrapping an unpalatable package of taxes in exchange for a US$1.3-billion standby arrangement (SBA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Mr Yellow, whose solo action made the front pages of the two national daily newspapers Friday, asked the Sunday Observer not to name him, saying that he would soon reveal himself to the nation after formalising the activist group to which he belongs.
MR YELLOW... everybody said my action spoke for them too
SHAW... unwraps an unpalatable package of taxes in exchange for a US$1.3-billion Standby Arrangement with the International Monetary Fund in Parliament last Thursday
On Thursday he wore a yellow kerchief over his face and on his head, wrapped a chain around his torso and held aloft two placards, one saying: "No new taxes, what we need is a plan to save Jamaica", and the other: "47 years later, our politicians (PNP + JLP) make we feel like we living (in) chains".
"I had to disguise myself because of the possible repercussions. But I'll reveal myself when the group is formalised," he said.
Mr Yellow had hinted on his Facebook page that he would be taking some kind of action to protest the coming tax package, action that could get him arrested. Friday morning, after his picture appeared in the newspapers, he was flooded with comments, hailing his action, he told the Sunday Observer.
He said that for the five hours he remained in the vicinity of the Parliament building, motorists honked, flashed their lights or slowed down to offer him encouragement.
"I received 100 per cent support from all the people who stopped to comment. Many said if they had known about my demonstration they would have joined me. Everybody said my action spoke for them too," said Mr Yellow.
"What touched me most was to see men passing by with very vexed looking faces and as soon as they saw what I was doing, stopped to say 'Yes, man, I support you'," said Mr Yellow.
He said he had had very little time to plan his action. But that, in effect, it was long in coming. Mr Yellow has been part of a group of student activists, from as far back as high school.
"We are very disgruntled with how things are going in our country, and we don't see any clear plan to get us out of this rut," he said. "Politics has divided us so people can't make a decision about taking action."
His small group of about 15 present and past university students had just been charting a plan for 2010 to help better conditions in Jamaica. The plan was mainly about mobilising the populace to take back Jamaica by doing small things like, 'don't litter, say good morning to policemen on the beat, be respectful to each other and so forth".
But the group, he noted, realised that "because politicians were the cause of the problems", it was necessary to target them, in order to achieve anything significant. "If you build a better society, it would force the leaders to be better," he said.
While the plan was coming together, the tax package was telegraphed to the nation in a newscast. Mr Yellow said his group did not have time to react in numbers because of either school or work commitments. But he decided he would represent them.
He arrived near Gordon House at 2:10 pm to meet his first obstacle. Policemen on duty told him he could not demonstrate so near to the Parliament building and sternly ordered him to move back.
"They could not say what was the exact distance I should be, but kept saying that I must leave here with that. I complied," said Mr Yellow. "Later, other more courteous policemen told me where I could stay and I obeyed."
At one stage, he was moving to an adjoining community but was advised by an old lady that he could be hurt by people who would be opposed to what he was doing. "I took her advice and thanked her."
Mr Yellow remained at his chosen spot until 7:15 pm "when my back gave way". He called his group and informed them he could go no further.
"I was extremely tired. My fingers were swollen from holding the placards for so long. The chain on my back was too weighty. I had not eaten. So I went straight home and had to lie in bed for several hours," he related.
Asked what he thought he had achieved, Mr Yellow said: "I believe the greatest thing I achieved was stirring a little bit of hope and confidence in the country. Some people who had given up hope would have seen someone expressing their feelings and empathising with them. If more people come together, they will believe that we can have a better country."
Mr Yellow indicated that his group would be working on a plan to stage a mass protest against the state of things in Jamaica.
"At that time we will not disguise ourselves. We are not affiliated to any political party. What we are saying is that we have to take back Jamaica. We can't live like this. We will not live like this."
'No taxes without a plan to better Jamaica'
BY DESMOND ALLEN Executive editor - operations allend@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, December 20, 2009
HE calls himself "Mr Yellow", insisting that yellow -- which is in the Jamaican flag -- "is the most hopeful colour and symbolises a brighter future".
This was what the university Masters student said he was fighting for when he staged his one-man demonstration last Thursday outside Gordon House in downtown Kingston, where Finance Minister Audley Shaw was unwrapping an unpalatable package of taxes in exchange for a US$1.3-billion standby arrangement (SBA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Mr Yellow, whose solo action made the front pages of the two national daily newspapers Friday, asked the Sunday Observer not to name him, saying that he would soon reveal himself to the nation after formalising the activist group to which he belongs.
MR YELLOW... everybody said my action spoke for them too
SHAW... unwraps an unpalatable package of taxes in exchange for a US$1.3-billion Standby Arrangement with the International Monetary Fund in Parliament last Thursday
On Thursday he wore a yellow kerchief over his face and on his head, wrapped a chain around his torso and held aloft two placards, one saying: "No new taxes, what we need is a plan to save Jamaica", and the other: "47 years later, our politicians (PNP + JLP) make we feel like we living (in) chains".
"I had to disguise myself because of the possible repercussions. But I'll reveal myself when the group is formalised," he said.
Mr Yellow had hinted on his Facebook page that he would be taking some kind of action to protest the coming tax package, action that could get him arrested. Friday morning, after his picture appeared in the newspapers, he was flooded with comments, hailing his action, he told the Sunday Observer.
He said that for the five hours he remained in the vicinity of the Parliament building, motorists honked, flashed their lights or slowed down to offer him encouragement.
"I received 100 per cent support from all the people who stopped to comment. Many said if they had known about my demonstration they would have joined me. Everybody said my action spoke for them too," said Mr Yellow.
"What touched me most was to see men passing by with very vexed looking faces and as soon as they saw what I was doing, stopped to say 'Yes, man, I support you'," said Mr Yellow.
He said he had had very little time to plan his action. But that, in effect, it was long in coming. Mr Yellow has been part of a group of student activists, from as far back as high school.
"We are very disgruntled with how things are going in our country, and we don't see any clear plan to get us out of this rut," he said. "Politics has divided us so people can't make a decision about taking action."
His small group of about 15 present and past university students had just been charting a plan for 2010 to help better conditions in Jamaica. The plan was mainly about mobilising the populace to take back Jamaica by doing small things like, 'don't litter, say good morning to policemen on the beat, be respectful to each other and so forth".
But the group, he noted, realised that "because politicians were the cause of the problems", it was necessary to target them, in order to achieve anything significant. "If you build a better society, it would force the leaders to be better," he said.
While the plan was coming together, the tax package was telegraphed to the nation in a newscast. Mr Yellow said his group did not have time to react in numbers because of either school or work commitments. But he decided he would represent them.
He arrived near Gordon House at 2:10 pm to meet his first obstacle. Policemen on duty told him he could not demonstrate so near to the Parliament building and sternly ordered him to move back.
"They could not say what was the exact distance I should be, but kept saying that I must leave here with that. I complied," said Mr Yellow. "Later, other more courteous policemen told me where I could stay and I obeyed."
At one stage, he was moving to an adjoining community but was advised by an old lady that he could be hurt by people who would be opposed to what he was doing. "I took her advice and thanked her."
Mr Yellow remained at his chosen spot until 7:15 pm "when my back gave way". He called his group and informed them he could go no further.
"I was extremely tired. My fingers were swollen from holding the placards for so long. The chain on my back was too weighty. I had not eaten. So I went straight home and had to lie in bed for several hours," he related.
Asked what he thought he had achieved, Mr Yellow said: "I believe the greatest thing I achieved was stirring a little bit of hope and confidence in the country. Some people who had given up hope would have seen someone expressing their feelings and empathising with them. If more people come together, they will believe that we can have a better country."
Mr Yellow indicated that his group would be working on a plan to stage a mass protest against the state of things in Jamaica.
"At that time we will not disguise ourselves. We are not affiliated to any political party. What we are saying is that we have to take back Jamaica. We can't live like this. We will not live like this."
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