Athaliah Reynolds, Staff Reporter

Teacher Joan Seivright and students of the Holy Family Infant and Primary School, located on Laws Street, central Kingston, took to the streets yesterday in a peaceful march to protest against the recent acts of violence in the community. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Emotions ran high yesterday morning as the deafening cries and shouts of scores of young children, teachers and parents of the war-torn communities of Tel-A-Viv and Southside, in central Kingston, could be heard from some distance away as they marched through sections of the area pleading for an end to the recent spate of killings and bloodshed.

Abandoning the relatively safe domain of their classrooms, the students and teachers of the Holy Family Infant and Primary School took to the streets, marching from Laws Street, down sections of Fleet Street and Maiden Lane, eventually gathering at the intersection of Laws and Gold streets to conduct a heated prayer session.

"We are tired of the killing. We can't take anymore," one woman who was watching the proceedings from the sidelines told The Gleaner.

Warring factions of the community have been embroiled in a series of battles in recent weeks, resulting in the murder of several individuals. Just last month, the Jamaica Labour Party councillor for the Rae Town division, Rosalie Hamilton, was shot in the chest by a gunman while sitting at her gate on Gold Street.

Bloodletting in classrooms

But the residents now fear that the bloodletting has somehow seeped into the classrooms and homes of the children, and has resulted in the slaughter of several children.

Cecile Palmer, principal of the school, said she fears for the lives of her students.

"I have reached the breaking point," she told The Gleaner. "It pains your heart when you hear of the deaths of students who sat in your own classroom," she said.

"I am here to plead with the gunmen to put down the guns and give our children a chance to live," she begged. "Whole families are being wiped out."

Since the start of the year more than 20 children between the age of 10 months and 16 years old have been victims of violent crime.

Betty-Ann Blaine, child rights activist, said she is not surprised at the escalation of violent crimes against children, as it speaks to the general degradation of the society. Usually, in such an instance, the weakest and most vulnerable in society will be affected.

Ms. Blaine said she is calling for a study to be done on the profile of a child killer so that the authorities can better deal with the problem. "I believe it takes a really heartless and cold person to kill a child," she said.

athaliah.reynolds@gleanerjm.com