Tired of the life of violence they have endured for more than 40 years, residents of the central Kingston community dubbed ‘Tel-Aviv’ are determined to make the latest peace initiative work.
“The war fi done sah. Man can’t war inna hungry time. Man dead and you can’t find the money fi bury him, man deh a jail and you can’t pay lawyer fi go defend him. Peace, love and unity we say now,” declared one outspoken woman in the area last week.
“Me born 30 years ago and from me born this area never have two years of peace,” another resident told The Sunday Gleaner.
For well-known resident (some say area leader), Donovan ‘Pepsi’ Ainsworth, it is time to see an end to the violence and to work with the police to achieve a lasting peace.
“Mek we all combine and live as one. You don’t have to talk to a man to say that you and him are friends. Him can be over there so and you over here so. But him is untouchable to you and you are untouchable to him. You don’t have to be friends with anybody but mek we live as one,” urged Pepsi as he lauded head of the Kingston Central Police, Superintendent Victor Hamilton, for the work he has been doing to facilitate talks among men ready to end the violence.
Tel-Aviv, named after the fabled city in Israel, covers an area in Kingston city, bordered by East Queen Street, Barry Street, Church Street and Gold Street. It takes in areas such as Rum Lane, sections of George’s Lane, Hanover Street and Rosemary Lane.
PNP stronghold
It is one of the People’s National Party (PNP) strongholds in central Kingston and came to national attention in the 1970s when men from the community and gangsters from the neighbouring Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) enclave of ‘Southside’ engaged in a deadly political battle.
Today, the political rivalry between the two communities is not as deadly, even though most of the votes from Tel-Aviv still go to the PNP while the JLP gathers most of the votes in Southside.
However, the decades of violence has taken a heavy toll on the community with deteriorating housing stock, abandoned factories and business places underlining the poverty in the area.
During a visit to the community last Thursday afternoon, our news team saw groups of women sitting idly on sidewalks with male counterparts. All appeared unemployed, kneading their palms in the not unfamiliar method used to prepare ganja for smoking.
“It’s not all hopelessness, however,” said Pepsi, as he noted that Tel-Aviv abounds with entrepreneurship in the form of bars, restaurants and shops.
According to Pepsi, while the motive may not be political anymore, the youths find reasons to war. He has lost more friends than he can count this way.
“That is what is going on now, a kind of deterioration a gwaan now. It is not a political war because all of them grew up as friends. It is them against them one another,” said Pepsi, as he noted that the current gangsters who are quick to pull illegal guns can be as young as 15.
“So all this need is for the police them to have a little club and a little organisation where they can come in and socialise with the youths dem and find out their needs,” argued Pepsi.
He charged that if members of the police force are afraid to venture into certain volatile communities to socialise with residents, they are not deserving of their jobs.
He theorised that there are two factors hampering any peace initiative in the area.
“In the garrison, not everything you can carry go tell the police because you will get labelled as informer; and two, you can’t just tell a likkle man fi put down him gun because him will use it back against you,” said Pepsi in a sombre tone.
However, he argued that the weekly meetings with Superintendent Hamilton and his team at the Kingston Central Police Division offers a possible remedy to these problems.
“It is a lovely thing. Because underneath it the youth them find somebody to reason with them, to dialogue back. And under the power of Mr Hamilton, the youths can get closer.”
Pepsi explained that persons who attend these meetings will not be labelled as informers.
Hamilton has indicated that the talks are aimed at preventing potential flare-ups between enemies, helping to understand the unique situations of the division’s troubled youths, and finding creative ways to lure investors and business owners to the areas.
Born an grow down there will never ever set foot back in that place.the Pepsi a run a tell gleaner f**kry telaviv will never get better untill Pepsi Robert an skilla dead or run away a them a corrupt the youths them from behind the scenes a wicked them you know how much youths life them instigate an say them a big man.a them collect all the money when the pollition them run some .Pepsi live in a mansion in a ghetto with swimming pool an I’m don’t have a f**king job. The youths them tired of them using them to commit crimes an a them a reap all the spoils . Pepsi Robert an skilla is the root of all the violence they must go .them a run to paper now a look sympathy because the little young youths them that they give the guns to start rise up against them now.bad to bad telaviv never use to have so much internal war when lucky gaint was there so much more to say but leave it with ( Pepsi Robert skilla)
Never understood why the police have to negotiate with known killers. Will someone please explain this for me. I’ll check back for a response.
As Anony above stated, Pepsi neva have a job but live inna mansion. I’m sure Jamaica has a RICO law or their version thereof. Is it ever enforced?
Check the prominent companies and businessmen that paying for protection within that are!!!!!!!!
Really nw put the blame on pepsi skilka n robert..wen the they should be focus an root out the gun frm dem
Robert Skilla and Pepsi put the guns in the youth dem hands. Dem 3 big man need fi go look a life.
Pepsi send the youths them go do crime an when them get wanted I’m set the police on them to kill them he is a big informer.the one name Robert from I’m come from England all I’m do I freak out the people them little 15 an 16 years old girl pickney them look suck them pussy an f*k them ass.them 3 big man is the reason for all the killings trust me I know
Mi wondering how ppl who don’t used to working going to run out to the jobs that investors may setup. The consciousness of the ppl have to change first before anyone could possibly think of reopening the factories. These kids have never seen their fathers and mothers doing a 9-5, work is not a part of their reality,some are not even going to school full-time to be accustomed to a regular work day routine. I wish them all the best though and hope they do the work to turn their lives around, especially to create a better life for their generations to come.