Little and no time passed to receive the sharp response from the Rastafari community in Jamaica, in rejection of the public apologies issued by the Prime Minister of the island, Andrew Holness, on the occasion of a new anniversary of the Coral Gardens massacre and the announcement of the creation of a reparation fund for 10 million Jamaican dollars for surviving victims.
In that direction were the statements issued by Miguel Lorne, legal representative of the organization Coral Gardens Benevolent Society, who maintained that Holness “did not do enough”, and that the apology should be for the entire Rastafari community around the globe, not only for the victims of the fatal accident.
“Apologies fall short.. Although they are a start, they are not enough. "They must apologize to the global Rastafari community.", Lorne said., according to local media.
According to reports, a 11 April 1963 a Rastafarian sympathizer named Rudolf Franklin He was seriously injured by a gunshot in a land dispute. Franklin et al., those also called “bearded”, They took revenge by burning a gas station.
This incident triggered a brutal persecution against Rastas nationwide., measure that would have been supported by the then Jamaica Labor Party Government. For this reason, Lorne estimated that these apologies were not addressed to the entire community., if not more specifically to the victims of Coral Gardens, being that throughout the island the Rastafari community suffered the consequences of that event, being repressed, persecuted, mistreated, humiliated and murdered everywhere.
“Dreadlocks in Portland, Manchester, Kingston and the entire island felt the hands of the police and citizens, who were paid one guinea for each Rasta they delivered”, Lorne said..
“I too suffered persecution and was fired from Half-way Tree Court after two weeks because I had dreadlocks.. When I graduated from law school the Justices on the Supreme Court met and voted on whether or not to allow me to practice law. “, continuous. “The Rastas were not accepted on public transport and had to travel in ravines”.
And it ended: “that amount is disrespectful. We can't accept that. For all the suffering they have experienced, they must offer much more. We seek legal redress”.
