TOMORROW’S islandwide lockdown of businesses to protest the country’s growing crime rate has been gaining momentum with a number of businesses, workers and civic organisations across the nation indicating their support.

Beverly Lopez, the president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), which is spearheading the protest, said yesterday that there was every indication of widespread support with confirmations from the Clarendon, Portmore, Mandeville, Montego Bay and St Ann’s Bay Chambers of Commerce, the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce and the Jamaica Exporters’ Association (JEA) – all members of the PSOJ – the Jamaica Agricultural Society, Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, as well as the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions, the Chinese Benevolent Association and a wide range of civic groups and individuals.

Other groups such as the Shipping Association of Jamaica have expressed solidarity with the move, but the organisation said that because shipping is an essential service its members will not close tomorrow, but will support the other activities planned by the PSOJ to protest against the increase in crime and violence, which has left more than 600 people dead since January 1.

Lopez has asked Jamaicans to wear the national colours – black, green and gold – and drive with their headlights on to register their support tomorrow.

“We hope we will have not just a successful event, but an event that will have some meaning,” she told the Observer yesterday.

Other activities include a gathering at Trafalgar Park in Kingston where participants will lay flowers in remembrance of the fallen and a protest rally at Emancipation Park in New Kingston.

The lockdown and protest action are among a number of activities to take place over three days – May 25 to 27 – to register the concern of the business sector over the deterioration of law and order in the country, particularly the number of heinous murders.

The announcement of the protest came days after the murder of Clarendon merchant Maurice Azan and his stepson Lloyd Phang, who were shot during a robbery at Azan’s wholesale and supermarket in May Pen on May 14. Azan died that day and Phang two days later. They were shot by a group of heavily-armed men who entered the supermarket and opened fire on the two.

Their murders sparked a lockdown of businesses in May Pen, Clarendon, and Old Harbour in St Catherine last Thursday against the growing crime wave and the targetting of business persons by extortionists and other criminals.