An investigation into the incident has been launched by several agencies, including the Police High Command and the Office of the Public Defender.

However, the group of protesting Rastafarians on Tuesday demanded an update from the police on the investigations into the matter.

Speaking to OBSERVER ONLINE at the protest, attorney Miguel Lorne said the Rastafarians were standing up for their “dignity”, “human rights” and for “the deadlocked Rastafari”.

“This young sister (Nzinga King) was violated in so many ways: from the taxi she was sitting in and for a police officer to [throw] pepper-spray into the taxi; she was taken to court; she was told that she had violated the Covid rules; she had on her masks, but because of the pepper-spray she moved the mask, [and] then she was told it was Covid,” he outlined.

He added: “When she was taken to court she was told it was disorderly conduct… These are charges used when police don’t have nothing else to come with…”

Lorne, who was recently reinstated as an attorney-at-law after being disbarred, said King pleaded not guilty to the charge. 

To complicate matters, he claimed the officer who charged the teenager did not come to court, “yet the judge found her guilty”.

“We find that strange,” Lorne said, adding that King was eventually fined $6,000 or 10 days in prison.

“She was taken to the police station, she had to pull down her underwear, she had to unleash her bra, and all these things. In other words, these are natural violations of normal citizens human rights,” he suggested.

Further, Lorne asserted that the conditions at the Four Paths Police Station were not suitable to host female prisoners because of the conditions that existed.

“So we are hoping by protesting out here we cannot only bring some amount of disclosure for the violation of Queen Nzinga [King], but also the general violation of our black sisters and black people’s rights,” he said.

And amid the blazing beats of the drums at the peaceful protest, Controversial entertainer LA Lewis was also on hand to give support to the Rastafarians’ call for justice. 

Lewis, who is now claiming that he is a Maroon, explained that he was present not to protest against the general police system, but against “the system like the prime minister and the minister of justice”.

He elaborated that, “We are here today to tell the prime minister [Andrew Holness] say him have to apologise for this and the minister of justice and the police commissioner… .”

The police have been maintaining a presence at the protest to ensure that order is maintained. 

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Owen Brown said, “We have spoken to the leader of the group so that they understand that, whilst they want to demonstrate, they must maintain the peace and cannot obstruct other road users. They have been cooperating so far and it is very peaceful as we speak.”

However, he expressed concerns regarding likely breaches of COVID-19 rules. 

“Where the Disaster Risk Management Act is concerned, there is a concern. We have spoken to them (about that) and we are hoping that they will be vacating the spot very soon,” Brown said.