The committee for Dancehall Week 2025 is extremely disappointed with the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s handling of the authorisation and subsequent parade permit request for the second annual Dancehall Street Parade in Kingston.

Organisers said after months of planning and communication concerning the March 2, 2025 event, its selected route, and time of event, it was only in consultation last with a team of officers that they informed that laws in Jamaica prohibited marches outside of 6:00 am to 6:00 pm.

With event slated for 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm the committee was instructed to observer the 6:oo pm cut-off or face prosecution.

“We brought a few things to their attention when they told us we had to change the time for our street parade after our entire advertising campaign had not only started but was in its final phase. One, we had consulted with the police to suggest the actual start time when we requested a night parade late last year. Secondly, we told them that a carnival event had held their road march after the 6:00 am- 6:00 pm time period on numerous occasions,”ly denied,” Dave Goldson, CEO of Dancehall Week Limited, shared.

The police have denied any such events had been permitted.

According to Section 3(2) of the Public Order Act, no public procession or march shall take place on any public road or in any public place outside the hours of 6:00 am and 6:00 pm, except with the permission of the commissioner of police.

Organisers of the Dancehall Week Street Parade are claiming classism as the reason the parade was bound by the existing law whilst carnival events have been been given exemption from the same law.

The Dancehall Street Parade, with trucks hosted by Hitz FM, Sun City Radio, Double 7 ebergy drink, Clearsound, Str8 Vybz, and Irie FM, was eventually staged one hour before the advertised start time from Ranny Williams Entertainment Center and departing Half-Way-Tree at 6:00 pm — some 90 minutes earlier than planned.

“This sudden change in time resulted in several persons arriving at 5:00 pm to miss the parade. We are trying to make dancehall run professionally, and therefore had these conversations long before any public advertising had started. Ultimately this feels like sabotage of our own culture,” said Goldson.

He added: “We need answers from the highest level, as our events for the last two years have been completely incident- and violence-free.”