A students' demonstration at the University of the West Indies in Mona escalated into widespread vandalism and chaos. This occurred after the government denied entry to Guyanese lecturer Dr Walter Rodney, who had attended a meeting of black writers in Montreal, Canada. The decision to bar Dr Rodney resulted from activities considered prejudicial to national safety and interest. The protests led to clashes between police and demonstrators, extensive property damage, looting, and violence.

Published Thursday, October 17, 1968

Campus row brings out vandals

What started out as a students’ demonstration at The University of the West Indies, at Mona developed into widespread vandalism last night as hooligan gangs took charge of many areas of the city, looting, smashing, damaging, burning. One death has been reported.

The city’s police and the army, who were called out to assist in the preservation of law and order, were hard-pressed as the roving gangs struck at different places and moved on before the forces of law and order could get in touch with them.

The dramatic developments followed the Government’s decision to refuse permission to Guyanese lecturer Dr Walter Rodney to land in Jamaica on Tuesday afternoon and the reports which were circulated that the reason for the ban was the fact that he had attended a meeting of black writers in Montreal, Canada.

The fact, as the Government explained yesterday, is that Dr Rodney was not declared undesirable because he went to the meeting. His exclusion was the result of activities which the Security Police deemed to be prejudicial to the national safety and interest in several parts of Jamaica.

University students demonstrated against the Government’s decision and were joined by some members of the faculty, and as they took their demonstrations into the downtown areas of the city, they were joined by other groups anxious to take advantage of civil disorder. Thus what began as a students’ demonstration developed into a day of clashes between the police and demonstrators and continued into the night with widespread destruction of property, and looting as gangs of men roamed the downtown areas of the city smashing store windows, looting and setting fire to a number of places.

In a series of events which lasted for most of the day and continued into the night, affecting most of the inner core of the city, police fired teargas into crowds on five separate occasions; at least three policemen were injured; a number of cars were damaged or destroyed; a number of business premises, including banks and airline offices had their windows smashed; and students accused the police of “police brutality”.

Early in the afternoon, police headquarters described the city as being “in a state of chaos”, but later in the evening police said the situation was getting quiet as the Jamaican Defence Force moved to reinforce police patrols. But there were later reports of growing acts of violence.

At one stage in the afternoon, the whole situation reached a point where there was a complete stoppage of bus transportation in the city as the bus crew said they wanted police protection.

Earlier in the afternoon, there was a “pitched battle” between police and firemen at the York Park Fire Brigade Station in which a number of firemen were reportedly beaten up.

The student demonstration began at 7 in the morning when students locked the gates of the university and later abandoned all lectures.

The students said they would demonstrate until the government decides to allow Dr Rodney into the country.

Rodney, a 26-year-old Guyanese is a lecturer in African history at the university. He was refused re-entry to the country on Tuesday afternoon when he was returning from a black writers conference in Montreal.

The government said the decision to ban Dr. Rodney had nothing to do with the attendance or participation in the conference.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister described the students demonstration as a display of hooliganism and irresponsibility. He added that he condemned it because the students made no gestures to ascertain whether there is any justification for the decision to bar Dr Rodney.

The president of the Guild of Undergraduates, Ralph Gonzalves, said that the students considered the barring “a serious breach of academic freedom especially as Dr Rodney is a highly important member of the history department”.

As the demonstration at the University entrances went into full gear, traffic along the Mona Road came to a standstill. The August Town bus which passes through the university had to be re-routed along the road over-looking the Hope River bed.

Shortly after 8 o’clock, the mass of students, which included students of the United Theological College, started to march along Mona Road towards Jamaica House, in keeping with the line of strategy that had been decided on at an all-nigh student meeting, held the day before.

However, before they had gone very far, riot police broke up the demonstration with teargas bombs along the Mona Road.

Still, some of the students persisted and reorganised for the march to Jamaica House. Along the way, however, riot police again broke up the demonstration with teargas bombs. One report stated that passengers in a JOS bus travelling along the Hope Road had to vacate the vehicle hurriedly, as one of the teargas bombs found its way through a window of the bus.

From the north of the city, the student demonstrators moved south, travelling through Cross Roads, to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Several units of riot police moved along with the demonstrators.

At Headquarters House on Duke Street, the demonstrators were addressed by Gonzales, Dr Norman Girvan of the Department of Economics, Mrs Rodney and others.

The student leader said he had talks with the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and that certain proposals were made, including the proposition that the prime minister should receive a deputation.

‘Police brutality’

He said that it was pointed out to the permanent secretary that a series of incidents took place on Hope Road; Mr Gonzalves said he could only deem these incidents as “police brutality”.

Gonzalves said the students were moving peacefully along the Hope Road when they were teargassed by the police. He also said that a number of students were badly beaten with batons.

Mr Girvan said it “was inhumane” for the government to separate Dr Rodney from his family.

He also said that the proposed deputation to the prime minister should consist of Gonzalves, a member of the public and a member of the university staff.

Mrs Rodney said that in a way, she was glad the whole thing happened because it “shows that my husband has support for what he has been trying to do. All he has been trying to do. All he has been doing is to help the black man to be a man”.

She also said that her husband did not have enough money or the proper clothing for this time of the year to stay in Canada. "Is this justice?”, she asked, and broke in tears.

When the demonstrators left Headquarters House in a procession up Duke Street, there was a clash in front of the BITU headquarters in which stones and bottles were flung on all sides. BITU spokesmen claim their headquarters were attacked by Central Kingston men posing as students, and they retaliated. They said some were Alpart workers.

A detachment of police quickly restored order, using teargas, but not before one of their number was injured.

A police sergeant suffered a head wound when he was struck by a missile. He was taken to hospital. A number of cars were also damaged.

The demonstrators then went down Duke Street, marched through downtown Kingston and assembled in front of The Gleaner building on Harbour Street.

There were no major incidents here, but at least two cars were damaged when demonstrators climbed on to their roofs. Other vehicles trying to use the roads were attacked by members of the crowd.

From The Gleaner building, the demonstrators went on Orange Street across Torrington Bridge to the George VI Memorial Park, across from the government offices which house, among other things, the prime minister’s office.

2-Round clash

Here, demonstrators and the police had a two-round clash in front of the prime minister’s office and in the George VI Memorial Park, between noon and 2 p.m.

A detachment of police was standing by the prime minister’s Office as early as 11 o’clock. On arrival, the students took up positions immediately opposite the prime minister’s office.

The number of the police grew with the arrival of students and one detachment took up position directly opposite the students and the police and students stood “cheek to cheek”.

Students carried placards and got a large number of other elements gathered, and were soon taking the situation into their own hands.

About 12.50 p.m. the vice chancellor of the university, Sir Philip Sherlock, was at the prime minister’s office and had words with the students, apparently asking them to return to campus. However, his request was turned down by the students with repeated shouts of No! The vice chancellor then returned to the prime minister’s office and departed.

Missiles thrown

During all this, the crowd had grown and the stage was set for the first stage of the clash. About 1.30 p.m. missiles were seen coming from a section of the crowd in the park. The red, blue and purple robes of the university demonstrators were not seen among this section of the crowd.

The missiles were directed at the police who were in front of the prime minister’s office, and the police retaliated with teargas. The people ran in all directions.

Some 10 minutes later, a crowd of about 400 was seen coming in the direction of the prime minister’s 0ffice from the south western section of the park. In the meantime, a helicopter of the JDF was circling overhead and the crew could be seen signalling to the police to prepare for the new assault.

The police took up positions in front of the Ministry of Finance this time. The crowd gathered in the park immediately opposite this ministry and there were shouts of “black power” and "we want Shearer” coming from them.

As they surged forward, the police hurled teargas into the crowd. The demonstrators scattered in the park, pursued by the police.

Following the teargassing in the park a number of people fled to Torrington Bridge, where there were reports of clashes between the police and several persons, including firemen at York Park.

Vehicles damaged

It was difficult to determine exactly what happened here, but some people were injured, and a number of police vehicles were damaged by stones. One policeman was taken off his motor cycle and the cycle smashed.

Later in the afternoon, after the students had dispersed, there were reports of widespread window smashing of business premises in the downtown area, particularly along Harbour Street, between King Street on the west and Fleet Street to the east.

Windows were broken at a number of places including the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, the Bank of London and Montreal, Pan American Airways, Air Jamaica, Kingston Ice and Commodity Service.

There was also a police report of looting at Swiss Stores, where a number of watches and jewellery were stolen.

The Marzouca building on Orange Street was also stoned, as was the Royal Bank of Canada’s Manchester Square branch. The Jamaica Public Service Company station at Cold Street was also stoned.

The police said that the stone throwing was the work of gangs of men roaming the streets. There were no reports of ‘arrests in connection with these incidents.

Last night gangs were roaming the streets and there were police reports of fires and looting.

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