Thugs from Tivoli Gardens are responsible for the PNP graffiti which decorated sections of West Kingston yesterday, THE STAR understands.

Yesterday, residents protested the graffiti seen on school walls, light posts, houses and even on Councillor Desmond McKenzie's office in Denham Town, but high-ranking men from west Kingston told THE STAR the graffiti was not done by members of the security forces who are being blamed for the act.

According to the men, investigations were launched subsequent to the residents' protests and it was discovered that a group of their own went around in the wee hours of Tuesday morning and marked the walls.

Head of the Tivoli Gardens police post, Deputy Superintendent Renford Rowe, said he was aware of the accusations that policemen were linked to the incident but said proper investigations would have to be done before he could comment any further.

However, when a highly respected member of the community who resides in Denham Town was contacted yesterday, he immediately responded, "Yu know wi get fi find out seh a some likkle hungry belly bway."

Asked to explain, he continued, "Wi hear di argument seh a police and ting but when wi check it out wi find out seh is a group of youth from bout di place do it demself. Dem claim seh dem do it cause JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) naw run nuh money, suh dem do it fi frighten dem."

Residents, not privy to the information gathered by THE STAR, were quick to point out that despite the recent 'bad vibes' between west Kingston and the ruling JLP, they will never switch allegiance. The bad vibes the residents were referring to surrounds the military incursion of Tivoli Gardens by the security forces in May.

military surveillance

The incursion was aimed at capturing the now incarcerated Christopher 'Dudus' Coke who was the strongman from west Kingston for over a decade prior to his capture and extradition. At least 70 civilians were killed during the incursion, sparking criticisms of Prime Minister Bruce Golding who is the member of parliament for west Kingston.

"I don't want to speculate, but what is curious is that this area has been under tight police and military surveillance so there are several people who are going to have to answer some questions," Golding told journalists in Tivoli Gardens yesterday.

Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Desmond McKenzie, who was also in the community said "... I find it strange that days before the west Kingston conference, which is scheduled for Sunday, and the party's annual conference in a couple of weeks, we have seen this."

One female resident who apparently overheard Mayor McKenzie's comment was quick to add, "God forgive we so we can forgive Bruce Golding and we not switching."

One of the many PNP graffiti on a wall in Denham Town yesterday.