Rumors and Realities in Kingston

I made it back to Kingston today, and everything appeared to be operating almost as normal. I didn't head downtown but halfway tree was busy as usually and the coasters (buses) seemed to be operating their normal routes. There have been a couple of rumors circulating in relation to the whole 'Dudus' operation and while I can't verify or deny any of them, I thought it worth sharing. There was a rumor some days ago that gunmen were driving around the country recruiting young males to fight against the police. I'm not sure if the speculation was that they were offering money to fight or using intimidation. Another rumor was that an unknown philanthropist donated a 40ft refrigerator to store bodies because the morgues are beyond capacity. A final rumor circulated that there was a shortage of petrol in certain parts of the country but again it is unclear.

One thing is certain though, there was a definite lack of bread and fresh vegetables at the supermarkets in Portland and Kingston. The bread aisles were empty in many of the stores and virtually empty in some of the bigger supermarkets. Im not sure if it because of a disruption in production or transportation, or if people naturally stocked up on bread anticipating the situation downtown would disrupt the food supply.

The radio also reported that Dudus and his lawyers have been in contact with British officials, trying to seek asylum. Many have speculated that his father, who mysteriously died in a prison fire while awaiting extradition to the US, was murdered for political reasons. Because of his believed political affiliations many people speculate the same could happen to Dudus. While the violence has virtually stopped, in the course of this operation over 500 people have been arrested and there are estimates of more than 100 deaths.

Operation: Get Dudus

Smoke rising from West Kingston.

A police station in Kingston on fire.

Tanks moving through Kingston.

The government officially announced that they are actively pursuing Dudus for extradition. The violence has escalated in Kingston. Police have been trying to tear down barricades in several communities and have come under gunfire in the process. The latest news is that the police shut off power to the area of Tivoli Gardens and have begun moving in with the aid of helicopters. One woman called the radio station as she laid on the ground reporting that she heard explosions and gunfire around her as the police moved in. While the government has said they are conducting house-to-house searches looking for him, it seems a little more like an armed invasion. There was also a report that Coronation Market -- the largest market in Kingston -- located downtown was on fire but I'm not sure of the extent of the damage. It's crazy cause I just bought food from there 3 days ago.

The news in general has a lack of information and has been unable to provide clear coverage. It seems that there is only so much information the Jamaican government is releasing and a certain image they want to portray. The best information is coming from talking to people who are actually there. For some eye-witness reports check out the BBC blog. I'm sure Digicel and Claro -- the two major telephone companies in Jamaica -- are making crazy money right now with all the text messages and calls going back and forth.

Schools throughout downtown Kingston will be closed tomorrow. So much for Bruce Golding's earlier statement that things would be operating as normal.

State of Emergency in Kingston

This afternoon the Government of Jamaica issued a state of emergency in Kingston after two officers were killed, a police station was burned to the ground, and gunshots rang out downtown. The media is being careful not to release specific information, maybe because they don't want it to look as though they were severely wounded.

For a while now the US government has been trying to extradite Christopher "Dudus" Coke on gun and drug smuggling charges. The issue is further complicated by the fact that Dudus is seen as a gangster affiliated with the current -- Pro-American -- political party in power; the JLP. Until now the Jamaican government has managed to keep him in the country but pressure has been increasing from the US government. The most recent attempt, what many on the street say is related to the extradition case, has been to revoke the visas of Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Mavado, and other artists.

On Monday, speculation that the Jamaican government had signed the extradition request caused a brief panic in downtown Kingston, forcing many businesses to close down early and severely slowing traffic.

It seems that many of the people here are either against the extradition or indifferent about the situation. Those who oppose it recognize that Dudus is most likely involved in illegal activity but don't believe he played a major role in drug and gun smuggling in America. Others still are worried that extraditing him will create instability in his community, as local gunmen vie to take his place. Some have even speculated that he has fled the country but it is hard to imagine where he would go seeing as most countries will likely extradite him if he enters their borders.

The Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, addressed the Nation at 8:00 pm assuring everyone that everything is to continue as normal but being under a state of emergency, it's a little easier said than done. When I left Kingston just the other day everything seemed normal, except for heightened police presence. Now with the state of emergency, the government his the legal power "to restrict the freedom of movement, search premises, and detain persons suspected of involvement in unlawful activities without a warrant.

The government is currently advising residents of Tivoli Gardens to evacuate and providing them with bus service to a "safe, undisclosed location." It will be interesting to see how many people actually leave and if the police force will use this as an opportunity to raid the community to get Dudus out. Dudus has filed an appeal through his lawyer. Could this be Jamaica's OJ Simpson trial of 2010?

Preparing for Graduate School

My apologies for the lack of posts over the last month and a half. I have been busy with classes, volunteering, and research. I finished my final semester here and am waiting to see what my grades for the final exams will be. I only took two courses (African Religious Retentions in the Caribbean and Archaeology of Africa) this semester to give me more time to complete my research and volunteer at Liberty Hall. Even though this semester required dividing my time among more responsibilities, it seemed less stressful than the previous semester for some reason.

My research is coming to an end although I still need to make another trip to the archives before I leave. I presented my research on The Slave Trade from Madagascar to Jamaica at the History Department's Friday Seminar on April 23. The presentation went well, I got some good feedback and a few leads on some extra sources to consult. The next step is continue with some more research, refine the paper, and make preparations for publication. I'm not exactly sure what needs to be done for publication but I will try to pitch it to some local journals and see what they say.

In these past weeks I also made a final decision on graduate school. I didn't really give myself too many options considering I only applied to the University of Florida and Syracuse but nevertheless it was a tough decision to make. I ultimately decided on the University of Florida to study for my M.A./Ph.D. in Anthropology with a concentration in Archaeology. More specifically, I am trying to do historical archaeology in Africa related to the slave trade. I have identified some spots I would like to work in but its too early to say where my doctoral research will reside. I chose the University of Florida for three main reasons: money, weather, and its Center for African Studies. Financially, the University is offering me tuition, fees, and a sizable stipend for six years with no teaching assistantship required. In fact the only requirement that they have is that I seek employment at a university in Florida after graduation. Syracuse offered me an equally competitive tuition, fees, and stipend for four years but it required that I serve as a teaching assistant for three years. I must admit the weather in Gainesville is also a lot better than the weather in Syracuse. Finally the Center for African Studies is a big bonus because they offer graduate courses in African Studies and other funding opportunities for research. I am anxious to see how I will settle in at UF -- while I have visited the Anthropology Department before, I have yet to visit any of my potential committee members. Hopefully I will meet them this summer when I go to attend the Board of Education Summer Program in June.