POLICE yesterday tear-gassed protesting Jamaica Labour Party mayors and councillors who were on their way to Jamaica House, drawing outrage from the Opposition.

During the melee, Kingston Mayor Desmond McKenzie as well as Councillor Conrad Coombs of the Beacher Town division in North East St Ann were injured and had to be taken to the Andrews Memorial Hospital where they were treated and released.

Councillors could be seen dodging tear-gas canisters, and with the smoke becoming unbearable, many of them coughed profusely as they used rags and handkerchiefs to cover their faces. Councilor Coombs was allegedly hit in his stomach.

The group, consisting of eight mayors and 100 councillors, was walking along Hope Road towards Jamaica House when they were teas-gassed by the police on reaching the gate of Devon House gate, several metres away from Jamaica House – the Office of the Prime Minister.

Pedestrians and motorists were also affected by the tear-gas, while traffic along Hope Road came to a standstill.

The councillors intended to deliver letters to Prime Minister Patterson, expressing their concerns about the failure of the local government ministry to allocate enough money to repair roads damaged during the recent hurricanes.

“.The manner in which the mayors and the councillors were being treated was wrong and unacceptable,” said James Robertson, JLP deputy leader and MP for Western St Thomas.

“We were not warned before the police threw the tear gas. We were breaking no law,” said Robertson.

In the meantime, Senior Superintendent Owen Ellington said the police were aware of the JLP councillors’ plans and were at Devon House yesterday morning where the councillors converged before starting to walk to Jamaica House.

“They were advised that they cannot assemble or march within 200 yards of Jamaica House,” said the police officer. Later in the morning it was reported that members of the group attempted to march beyond the 200-yard distance which is in breach of the law.

Tear gas was among the options used to disperse them,” added Ellington.

“Tear gas canisters can be fired anywhere that there is public disorder and there is a resolve to disperse it,” Ellington explained. “If they had no permission to march, that would be a breach of the Public Order Act and the police have the power and the duty to break that up,” he insisted.

Robertson contended that the JLP councillors and mayors did not seek permission from the police because they did not believe that their actions would require the police’s approval.

“Permission to do what? To deliver a letter? We did not go within the 200 yards of the compound; we were at Devon House,” he said. “An apology will have to come from the commissioner of police. He must speak on this issue.”

The police said that 200 yards from Jamaica House would be approximately at the gate of the Police Officers’ Club on Hope Road.

Meanwhile, Mayor McKenzie said the matter could have been handled in a peaceful manner, and blamed the police for the escalation of the situation. The use of tear gas, the mayor said, was unnecessary.

“.What we saw was blatant criminality by the police,” said the mayor. “It speaks volumes when you are walking on the street to deliver a letter and come under attack by the police from Devon House….700 metres away from Jamaica House,” said McKenzie.

davidsont@jamaicaobserver.com