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Extortionists missing as downtown comes back alive
Extortionists missing as downtown comes back alive
Published: Sunday | May 30, 2010 0 Comments and 0 Reactions
Market vendors and shoppers head to Three Miles but expect to be back in 'Curry' by next week
Arthur Hall & Tyrone Reid, Sunday Gleaner Reporters
IT WAS not a regular Saturday in downtown [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]Kingston[/COLOR][/COLOR] yesterday but there were clear signs that the busy commercial district was returning to normal.
With shoppers out on King and Orange streets and other areas known for the bargain prices, the emptiness of Coronation Market stood out.
But what was also significant was the absence of the extortionists who forced shoppers to pay to park in free parking areas and those who walked around collecting from vendors money which they claimed was "for the President".
That has been an unwelcome feature of downtown Kingston for some time, but with the [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]security[/COLOR][/COLOR] forces displacing the Tivoli extortionists, there was a welcome relief for some shoppers.
"My regular sellers are not here but I have parked without anyone telling me to remember to carry a bills ($100) for them, so all my money can now be spent on the food that I need rather than the extortionists," a well-spoken woman told The Sunday Gleaner.
She can depend on the backing of the the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association (JMA), which has pledged its continued support to "the dedicated members of the security forces who are trying to create a society of law and order and [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]safety[/COLOR][/COLOR] for all citizens".
corrective course
According to the JMA, it hopes that this thrust will be an ongoing campaign to rid Jamaica permanently of criminal elements.
The JMA also called on every elected representative "to use this opportunity to chart a corrective course and to put Jamaica ahead of politics or any personal gain".
The manufacturers also committed to assisting in the rebuilding of the communities, such as Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town, that have been and will be affected by these joint police-military [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]operations[/COLOR][/COLOR]
.
In the meantime, hundreds of shoppers descended on the Three Miles area of Kingston yesterday to get the food supplies they would usually purchase in 'Curry' (Coronation Market) in downtown Kingston.
For several metres, every nook and cranny of space along the sidewalk on both sides of Spanish Town Road were occupied by vendors and shoppers.
Eager shoopers spilled over into nearby Majesty Gardens and on to Marcus Garvey Drive.
The usual market excitement was in the air - a tangible buzz you could cut with a knife.
One shopper said she was not moved by the change in venue, but complained about the upward shift in prices.
The police were out keeping an eye on things and even got in on the action, as our news team spotted a few [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]purchasing[/COLOR][/COLOR]
produce.
Young men and women from Majesty Gardens used trolleys to help shoppers transport their goods for a fee of $100 per load.
One young man, who was cashing in on the market switch, said he wished the market would stay in the area permanently.
However, the vendors made it clear that with the violence subsiding, they expected to be back at Curry in a week's time.
Published: Sunday | May 30, 2010 0 Comments and 0 Reactions
Market vendors and shoppers head to Three Miles but expect to be back in 'Curry' by next week
Arthur Hall & Tyrone Reid, Sunday Gleaner Reporters
IT WAS not a regular Saturday in downtown [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]Kingston[/COLOR][/COLOR] yesterday but there were clear signs that the busy commercial district was returning to normal.
With shoppers out on King and Orange streets and other areas known for the bargain prices, the emptiness of Coronation Market stood out.
But what was also significant was the absence of the extortionists who forced shoppers to pay to park in free parking areas and those who walked around collecting from vendors money which they claimed was "for the President".
That has been an unwelcome feature of downtown Kingston for some time, but with the [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]security[/COLOR][/COLOR] forces displacing the Tivoli extortionists, there was a welcome relief for some shoppers.
"My regular sellers are not here but I have parked without anyone telling me to remember to carry a bills ($100) for them, so all my money can now be spent on the food that I need rather than the extortionists," a well-spoken woman told The Sunday Gleaner.
She can depend on the backing of the the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association (JMA), which has pledged its continued support to "the dedicated members of the security forces who are trying to create a society of law and order and [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]safety[/COLOR][/COLOR] for all citizens".
corrective course
According to the JMA, it hopes that this thrust will be an ongoing campaign to rid Jamaica permanently of criminal elements.
The JMA also called on every elected representative "to use this opportunity to chart a corrective course and to put Jamaica ahead of politics or any personal gain".
The manufacturers also committed to assisting in the rebuilding of the communities, such as Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town, that have been and will be affected by these joint police-military [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]operations[/COLOR][/COLOR]
.
In the meantime, hundreds of shoppers descended on the Three Miles area of Kingston yesterday to get the food supplies they would usually purchase in 'Curry' (Coronation Market) in downtown Kingston.
For several metres, every nook and cranny of space along the sidewalk on both sides of Spanish Town Road were occupied by vendors and shoppers.
Eager shoopers spilled over into nearby Majesty Gardens and on to Marcus Garvey Drive.
The usual market excitement was in the air - a tangible buzz you could cut with a knife.
One shopper said she was not moved by the change in venue, but complained about the upward shift in prices.
The police were out keeping an eye on things and even got in on the action, as our news team spotted a few [COLOR=orange ! important][COLOR=orange ! important]purchasing[/COLOR][/COLOR]
produce.
Young men and women from Majesty Gardens used trolleys to help shoppers transport their goods for a fee of $100 per load.
One young man, who was cashing in on the market switch, said he wished the market would stay in the area permanently.
However, the vendors made it clear that with the violence subsiding, they expected to be back at Curry in a week's time.
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