GOLDSON…they instructed us we needed to change the time for our avenue parade after our complete promoting marketing campaign had not solely began however was in its ultimate part.
The committee for Dancehall Week 2025 is extraordinarily disillusioned with the Jamaica Constabulary Pressure’s dealing with of the authorisation and subsequent parade allow request for the second annual Dancehall Road Parade in Kingston.
Organisers mentioned after months of planning and communication regarding the March 2, 2025 occasion, its chosen route, and time of occasion, it was solely in session final with a staff of officers that they knowledgeable that legal guidelines in Jamaica prohibited marches exterior of 6:00 am to six:00 pm.
With occasion slated for five:00 pm to eight:00 pm the committee was instructed to observer the 6:oo pm cut-off or face prosecution.
“We introduced just a few issues to their consideration after they instructed us we needed to change the time for our avenue parade after our complete promoting marketing campaign had not solely began however was in its ultimate part. One, we had consulted with the police to recommend the precise begin time after we requested an evening parade late final yr. Secondly, we instructed them {that a} carnival occasion had held their street march after the 6:00 am- 6:00 pm time interval on quite a few events,”ly denied,” Dave Goldson, CEO of Dancehall Week Restricted, shared.
The police have denied any such occasions had been permitted.
In line with Part 3(2) of the Public Order Act, no public procession or march shall happen on any public street or in any public place exterior the hours of 6:00 am and 6:00 pm, besides with the permission of the commissioner of police.
Organisers of the Dancehall Week Road Parade are claiming classism as the rationale the parade was sure by the present regulation while carnival occasions have been been given exemption from the identical regulation.
The Dancehall Road Parade, with vans hosted by Hitz FM, Solar Metropolis Radio, Double 7 ebergy drink, Clearsound, Str8 Vybz, and Irie FM, was finally staged one hour earlier than the marketed begin time from Ranny Williams Leisure Heart and departing Half-Means-Tree at 6:00 pm — some 90 minutes sooner than deliberate.
“This sudden change in time resulted in a number of individuals arriving at 5:00 pm to overlook the parade. We are attempting to make dancehall run professionally, and subsequently had these conversations lengthy earlier than any public promoting had began. Finally this looks like sabotage of our personal tradition,” mentioned Goldson.
He added: “We want solutions from the best degree, as our occasions for the final two years have been fully incident- and violence-free.”
