Adrian Frater, News Editor

WESTERN BUREAU:

The local Rastafarian community is seeking an official apology, as well as reparation for what they say was the unjustified humiliation and brutality they suffered at the hands of the state in the infamous 1963 Coral Gardens uprising in St. James.

Declaring that Rastas were wrongfully blamed for setting fire to a gas station and the killing of several persons, which sparked the uprising, Rastafarian leaders at a press conference, in Montego Bay, on Friday, said they wanted the records to be corrected to reflect the truth.

"What happen was the result of a land dispute between some comb-some (men with beard but no locks) and landowners in Rose Hall," said Rastafarian elder, Bongo Ashley. "Rastas got the blame, but we had nothing to do with it."

In trying to rationalize why the state literally declared war on Rastas at the time, forcing some 'brethrens' to either cut their locks or flee into the mountains to hide; Bongo Ashley said there was a general fear at the time that Rastas wanted to overthrow the Government.

"Because they misunderstood what Rasta was about, they welcome the opportunity to try and crush the movement," stated Bongo Ashley, who was beaten up and jailed at the time.

"Rastas were hunted down like animals and those who were not killed were brutalised mercilessly and jailed."

Holy Thursday rampage

In The Gleaner's account of the Coral Gardens incident, which was published on April 13, 1963, it was reported that a gang of Rastafarians, armed with machetes and daggers, launched a Holy Thursday rampage that left eight men, including two policemen, dead.

"Rastas were wrongfully blamed and suffered innocently as a result of what had happened," said Rastafarian spokesman, Junior Manning. "It is on that basis that we are seeking an official apology from the Government, reparation for the injustice and a correction of the records to reflect what really happened."

In the anniversary event slated for the UDC Beach, in Montego Bay, on Friday (April 6); survivors of Coral Gardens will be among a distinguished panel of speakers. They include Professor Verene Shepherd, former Mayor of Montego Bay Shallman Scott, opposition spokesman on Culture, Mike Henry, Mutabaruka, Tony Rebel and Dermot Fagan.