Though they were not dressed in black, students at St George's Girls Primary and Infant School in Kingston had pieces of black cloth in their hands as they joined in the islandwide stand against violence against women and children yesterday.

Singing songs such as Give Peace a Chance, Want to be Free, and chanting the phrase 'We want peace and we want it now', were some of the ways the children voiced their disgust and desire for change.

A passionate 12-year-old Gabrielle Moulton begged for something to be done urgently.

"I was so sad; she is only eight years old," said Moulton referring to the youngest victim of Monday night's rape of five females in St James. "She is not as mature as the other ladies and the man really looked at her and raped her? I am so disappointed in that man. I want our protest today to send a message that we have had enough violence and it needs to stop. Jamaica is in a terrible condition and we need help," she said.

Janet Davids, a teacher at the school, said part of the motive for arranging the protest was to allow the students to vent their anger.

"We had to be counselling and praying for the students after they heard about the incident in Montego Bay because they were really shaken up. One student, every night before she goes to her bed, she keeps begging and pleading with her mother to close the doors and windows and most of them are afraid in their own houses," said Davids.