PORTLAND, Jamaica – Boston Jerk Centre vendors gathered outside the facility on Friday morning to protest the continued closure of the popular eatery.

The jerk centre was closed on September 6 after what health officials described as months of trying to get operators to address shortcomings.

READ: Boston Jerk closed

However, placard-bearing vendors on Friday insisted that all shortfalls have since been addressed, yet the centre remains closed.

One vendor displayed a placard accusing health officials of “sabotaging Boston”.

“They gave us some work to do, and we have finished the work but no inspector has come to (inspect) the work,” said the vendor who identified himself as “JJ”.

He said that authorities, at a meeting on Thursday, raised the issue of training as a prerequisite for the reopening of the centre.

“They kept a meeting (Thursday) talking about school and all these things. We don’t need school. Who can teach us jerking?” he said. “Everything is put in place so we don’t know what the problem is. We need answers and we need it today or else it will go further.”

Protestors used stones, bottles and debris to block the road as early as 5am.

Up to 8am, only single lane traffic was possible in the area.

Police were at the scene up to publication time.

– Everard Owen