As Jamaicans gather in-front of the British High Commission on Trafalgar Road in St. Andrew, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge William and Kate arrived at the Norman Manley International airport to a ceremonial welcome by government officials as well as members of Her Majesty’s loyal opposition.
The royals arrived shortly after 2:00 pm in the island to a ceremonial Guard of Honour and later met up with the Governor General at King’s House.
The demonstrations got under way early Tuesday (March 22) morning in the country’s capital as people from all walks of life including the Rastafarian community, academic community and other organizations protest the monarchy’s hold on Jamaica over the years.
Reggae singer Queen Ifrica, in an expletives laced pronouncement asked that the royals “Leggo Jamaica”.
The Caribbean tour by the Dutch and Duchess is to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee but it has been marred by protest and calls for abandoning the monarchy. The two had to cancel one of their stops during their visit to Belize due to protests broke out ahead of the couple’s arrival.
The villagers are also in a land dispute with a conservation group that is backed by the Royal Family.
The contrasting welcome of protest and pageantry in Jamaica signifies as split in consent on whether the country should stay on as a member of the commonwealth or do away with the Queen as Head of State represented by the Governor General.
The resistance has been organized by The Advocates Network, a human rights coalition of Jamaican activists and equalities organizations. The coalition has written an open letter signed by major figures in Jamaica calling for the British monarchy to pay slave reparations.
A letter signed by 100 Jamaican leaders including former Prime Ministers said the country sees “no reason” to celebrate the Queen’s 70 years on the throne because her leadership and her predecessors “perpetuated the greatest human rights tragedy in the history of humankind”
Dancehall King Beenie Man has also hit our against the Royal visit in an interview on British Tv morning Show Good Morning Britain.
“Jamaicans don’t want the Queen… If Harry [was coming], people would react different. People would go and meet Harry. But William, nobody wants to see that,” he said.
Since the arrival #Reparationsnow has been trending in Jamaica.
Last November, Barbados voted to become a republic, after 55 years after gaining independence from the UK. They have since done away with the Queen and honored pop superstar Rihanna as national hero at the same ceremony.
This has rekindle discussions in many Caribbean territories, including Jamaica that still hold the Queen as Head Of State although they gained political independence decades ago.
Hundreds of thousands of African slaves toiled in Jamaica under more than 300 years of British rule and faced brutal conditions. Queen Elizabeth II has never apologized or admitted to the role of the Empire in the transatlantic slave trade.
A similar call was made in 2007 for The Queen to apologise and provide financial compensation.
Prince William is set to address the role Britain played in the transatlantic slave trade tomorrow while in Jamaica according to ITV.
