A number of St Ann residents led by members of the Ocho Rios minister’s fraternal gained access to the popular Little Dunn’s River Beach in Ocho Rios as they upped the pressure on the authorities to make the beach accessible to the public, free of charge.
On Monday, December 23, just before the busy Christmas festivities, several ministers led by minister at the Ocho Rios Baptist Church, Reverend Jonathan Hemmings, turned out at the beach to take a swim in protest against the Urban Development Corporation, UDC who fenced and padlocked the facility just under three months ago.
The facility, the only free beach in the tourist resort town has been closed to the public for nearly three months, as the UDC says it wants to upgrade the property. The gate to the fenced property had been padlocked. The UDC had said the facility would have reopened before Christmas but reports later surfaced that the beach would not be opened until the New Year.
The Ocho Rios minister’s fraternal has been very vocal about the need for the facility to remain open with free access. On Sunday, December 22, Rev Mr Hemmings had made a public invitation, on IRIE FM radio for people to come out for a swim at the beach. He had not called it a protest but infact said he wanted people to bring their bathing waer and towels and come swim at the beach.
On Monday morning people, some of them wanting to make a public show of support for the action to take back the beach, turned out for a swim at the facility. When they turned up, the padlock was unlocked, allowing free access to the beach. Reverend Hemmings says when he turned up early for a swim; they were allowed access through the gate. “When we came this morning, the gate was open and we were allowed to go take a swim. We are assuming that the authorities came early and opened the gate. I am happy about this because I think they got the message,” Rev Hemmings said.
The North Coast Times spoke with a security on duty at the time who said when he showed up for work, the gate was open. “When I came this morning, the padlock was open and there was no evidence that it was tampered with.”
On the other hand, residents of Ocho Rios who showed up to take a swim in support of the ministers move, say they came prepared to tear down the fencing if it was not opened for access to the public. One man Robert Wilson says he came prepared with a saw to remove the padlock if it was not opened. “I use to come here every morning to swim three months ago and since it has been closed, I was not able to take a swim. Just in case it was not opened for us this morning, I came with a saw prepared to cut it off. This is my country and enough is enough. We ought to stand for something,” Mr Wilson said. Visiting Jamaicans living overseas also turned out to take a swim and said they are happy they could have accessed the facility. One woman, who is visiting for the holiday, a Jamaican national says it was her first time at the beach and she is pleased with the move by the ministers and residents. “Not every one of us can afford to pay to use lavish resorts and attractions when we visit and this is a pleasure for me to be able to use it without having to pay,” she said.
The gate remained open to the public for access over the holidays, since Monday. It is not yet clear whether the beach will remain open in the New Year for public access. Members of the business community and host of Irie Fm’s Running African, Andrea Williams-Green also turned out in support of the ministers’ move.
