HUNDREDS LATE FOR SCHOOL, WORK IN ST ANN
Police have cleared water protest roadblocks that cut off Brown’s Town from other major towns in St Ann, on Monday morning, February 19.
Hundreds of people were affected by the roadblocks that shut down traffic for hours, even though police and fire brigade tried several times to clear them.
Some posters left by the roadside said ‘No Wata No vote’ and protest slogans were also written on the road surface.
The roadblocks were mainly unmanned, and debris was lit in places and were in protest over the continued lack of water in several communities. The Minard Deep well, just outside of Brown’s Town has been out of operation for nearly two weeks. People in the communities of Minard Hill, Standfast, Brown’s Town proper, Enfield, Liberty, and other communities have had to go without water or purchased trucked water.
The roadblocks were mounted before daybreak Monday, near Brown’s Town, including on the road to and from the major towns of Runaway Bay and Discovery Bay. That meant vehicles going south to Alexandria and Cave Valley were also affected.
Debris was used to block the roads outside the Minard Deep Well, near Brown’s Town Community College, and on the roadway to Bamboo.
Hundreds of children who attend school in Brown’s Town were left stranded or stuck in traffic on roads from Runaway Bay as well as from the south of the parish. Children from Ferncourt in Claremont were also affected.
Workers going to Runaway Bay, St Ann’s Bay, and Ocho Rios were also affected.
The roadblocks were completely cleared closer to 8:30 a.m.
