Trinidad Newsday

Trinidad and Tobago nationals who are students at the UWI Mona campus, Jamaica yesterday said they are safe but very scared in the wake of a declaration of a state of emergency in the country’s capital Kingston and St Andrew parish, as a gun-battle between the authorities and protesters over a wanted accused drug dealer broke out.

“We don’t know what is going to happen next. The university has sent out messages to the student body warning us to stay away from downtown (Kingston) but no special instructions or further information has been given,” Kinia Johnson, 24, a second year banking and finance student told Newsday.

Marielle Armstrong, 21, a second-year medical student said she had attended a church service in the vicinity yesterday but had not experienced any of the chaos first hand.

“Other passengers in the car told us that there were masked gunmen patrolling down town and that one woman and a police officer had been shot and the Hannahtown police station had been burnt down. I am really concerned about our safety but I think that as long as I stay on campus I will be safe. I have a lot of food and water so I don’t need to leave in a hurry.”

Johnson and Armstrong said they did not feel an urgency to return home to Trinidad and Tobago and said the students will contact the TT High Commissioner to Jamaica if it becomes necessary.

Jonathan Cabralis, a third-year geology student, however, is a bit more concerned about the effects of the month-long state of emergency especially with respect to food supplies reaching the campus but does not yet see a need for panic.

“I mean there are no bullets flying over our heads (yet) but I hope that the Trinidad and Tobago government paying close attention to the situation,” he said.

Newsday also spoke to a media official who indicated that residents of Tivoli Gardens have been “marooned in” and the homes of those who have managed to leave have been burnt down.

The police last night advised “law abiding” residents of Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town to evacuate the areas by way of Industrial Terrace towards Marcus Garvey Drive where buses will be available to transport them to accommodation established by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management. Those opting to leave have been asked to only take along medicine.

There were unconfirmed reports last night that the United States, which is seeking the extradition of Christopher “Dudus” Coke who is wanted on drug and arms trafficking charges, an action which has sparked week-long protests, was sending 200 officers to Jamaica to help local law enforcement.