JLP, PNP trade blame after chaos at campaign rally
Published:Tuesday | July 22, 2025 | 12:43 PMLivern Barrett/Senior Staff Reporter -
The country’s two main political parties have accused each other of attempting to fan the flame of violence as the election campaign heats up, weeks before Jamaicans are expected to vote.
The lightning rod for the accusations was the sound of loud explosions that briefly halted a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) ‘Choose Jamaica’ rally in Allman Town, Kingston, on Sunday.
Allman Town is located in the constituency of Kingston Central, which ended decades of People’s National Party (PNP) representation in the last election in 2020 by electing incumbent JLP Member of Parliament (MP) Donovan Williams.
The explosions rang out while Williams was delivering his speech, briefly causing some JLP supporters to scamper.
Williams, when he resumed his speech, cautioned supporters: “Don’t let them distract us.”
“They tried it this evening, but we not going to allow it,” said the first-term MP, without making any reference to the explosions.
DESPERATE
But Daryl Vaz, member of parliament for Portland Western, left very little doubt about whether he believed the explosions were gunshots and who was behind it.
Vaz said that on his way to the Allman Town meeting, he encountered JLP supporters who warned him, “Boss, no badda go up deh. Di man dem up deh a fire up a whole heap a shot.”
The same warning was communicated by a police team closer to the venue, he said.
“Let me tell you something, they are so desperate that they are prepared to do anything. But we nuh ‘fraid a gunshot no time at all,” the Cabinet minister said, to raucous applause.
“It is a sign and a signal. Tek sleep and mark death; they are desperate, they see power slipping away from them day by day because of their bad mind actions.”
Vaz, who is minister of science, energy, telecommunications and transport, urged supporters to “be careful” and “don’t mek dem draw you out”.
RECKLESS
But the PNP quickly denounced Vaz’s statement as reckless.
PNP General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell, in a statement on Sunday, said “shots were heard”, but claimed that the police confirmed that the shooting was not politically motivated.
“Yet Minister Vaz irresponsibly attributed political motive without evidence,” Campbell said.
“This is dangerous rhetoric, inflammatory, and risk inciting reprisals and destabilising vulnerable communities.”
Campbell said the parliamentary Opposition has reported Vaz to the political ombudsman “because his conduct breaches peace and fairness”.
At a political rally earlier this month, the PNP general secretary was more forceful, warning his supporters that “they are trying to set us up”.
“They want to be violent, so they are trying to set us up to say we started this,” Campbell said on July 6 in Manchester as he urged PNP supporters to be peaceful throughout the campaign.