Green with rage, CAPI protests missing colour from flag backdrop
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Members of the Citizens Action for Principle and Integrity (CAPI) yesterday staged a peaceful protest in historic Sam Sharp Square to condemn the omission of the green from a stage backdrop designed to depict the Jamaican flag at the recent swearing-in for new councillors in the St James Parish Council.
“We came out here to support the national flag and the way it was debased at the inauguration of the councillors on the 29th (of March). So we are out here to send a clear picture to everyone in Jamaica that this cannot be tolerated,” noted Hugh Fagan, convener of CAPI.
The Montego Bay-based CAPI, which described itself as a “non-partisan lobby group”, became the latest voice to the howls of protest over the flag fiasco.
Yesterday, the scores of placard-waving demonstrators — some armed with miniature flags, called for the resignation of People’s National Party Councillor Glendon Harris as mayor of Montego Bay.
“We are asking him to do the most honourable thing, the most responsible thing and step aside. And if he doesn’t step aside after today this will continue because he is will not be accepted as our mayor — that is totally decided on,” said CAPI member, Andrea Walters.
In the wake of the flag controversy, Harris initially apologised for the debacle, noting that he had nothing to do with the decoration. He also said that his technical staff had told him that the decorator, Denton Edwards, “ran short of material” — a claim that was subsequently denied by the decorator.
On Saturday, Courtney Hume, who allegedly instructed the decorator to leave the green out of the backdrop, resigned as special advisor to junior industry, investment and commerce minister, Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams.
Meanwhile, yesterday CAPI’s planned march from Sam Sharpe Square to the St James Parish Council building to present a roll of green cloth to the mayor “to avoid similar embarrassment in the future”, was ditched after they were told by the police that it was illegal to congregate within 200 metres of Government buildings.
“We were on a drive, that’s how the idea came together, that we would go to Gordon House and all the parish council offices across Jamaica and ensure that they have the right shade and enough green so that there would not be a recurrence,” Walters said.
