… but the young men say the problem is the cops

For the young men who attended the meeting, the concern was more about the actions of police than each other. Raymond Gentle said today he was the victim of police brutality as he went to visit his friend, Ian Reid, one of yesterday’s shooting victims.

Raymond Gentle, Claims Police Brutality
“We gaan deh peaceful because we want see fi we fren, if ih should dead we want se ah before ih ded. That dah the reason why we gone deh ina wah crowd. We noh gaan deh violently. By time we come outta di hospital bout four vehicle stick we up and bring the whole crowd ah we. This happen like bout 11:30, minutes to 12 this afternoon. When I do reach dah the station now, I da wah shop owner da 21 Kraal Road, Gentle Shop, I have wah series ah money ina my pocket, wa undisclosed amount ah money ina my pocket. So I explain to wah policeman, Mr. Usher that I have wah amount ah money ina my pocket, if ih could please kerr mi dah the inspector fi go goh left my money. When I ask this, the man seh “Weh the **** your money gat fid u wid me and punch me ina my face. And from deh they gone an wah next policeman come kerr me da the inspector da front mek I left my money an lock me down.”

“They meeting deh we noh the talk bout the violence weh the happen. Dah lone drugs, drugs, everybody di base pan. All the superior they, the people deh weh suppose to the try control dis violence the talk bout drugs.”

Marion Ali
“But you noh tie the violence to the drugs?”

Raymond Gentle
“I have wah grocery shop. I have my past with drugs; I’m a parolee of drug trafficking. I been to prison for drug trafficking, fi marijuana only. But due to my past mek they print me this way todeh day.”

“Far as I concerned we noh come yah concerning drugs none at all. We come yah concerning the murder and the shooting weh happen ina the street. We neva have no talking bout murder in deh soh I noh see how the murder wah chill.”