General
Gang violence triggers state of emergency
On 22nd January 2025, police killed a senior leader of the main criminal organisation in the country, One Order gang, during an operation near Kingston. The incident sparked violent reprisals in Spanish Town, 21 kilometres from the capital city, including gunfire, arson and roadblocks. In response, authorities imposed a curfew, raised the national security threat level to extreme, and deployed police and soldiers to restore order, leading to the closure of schools and businesses.
Six days later, on 28th January, the Governor-General of Jamaica declared a state of public emergency covering the St. Catherine North Police Division, which includes Spanish Town. The government had already invoked at least three such emergency measures in 2024 to respond to gang-related violence. However, analysts noted that repeated reliance on states of emergency has not led to a sustained reduction in Jamaica’s persistently high homicide rates.
The latest escalation followed a wider government crackdown on organised crime after a series of mass shootings. Jamaica continues to record one of the world’s highest homicide rates and, according to Amnesty International, one of the highest levels of reported extrajudicial killings by law enforcement.
Despite the tense security climate, the first quarter of 2025 was marked by numerous protests, strikes, and public demonstrations over social, economic, and political issues. Frontline workers in health and education sectors staged protests to demand better wages, allowances, and working conditions amid what they describe as long-standing neglect. Communities and local groups also took to the streets to protest infrastructural failures, such as poor roads and sewage overflows, that were impacting daily life and health.
At the same time, government decisions, like the move to elevate Portmore to parish status without broad consultation, sparked pushback on the grounds of transparency and democracy. Overall, between January and March 2025, people in Jamaica continued to exercise their rights to civic freedoms (see below).
Peaceful Assembly
Taxi operators protest poor road conditions
On 21st January 2025, dozens of taxi drivers blocked sections of Spanish Town Road (near Denham Town Police Station) with their vehicles, protesting large potholes and raw sewage flowing on the roadway. The protesters said that the condition of the roads was damaging their cars and even causing health problems, noting incidents of sewage water splashing onto people and causing skin rashes. The taxi operators insisted that the situation “cannot continue” without intervention.
Just weeks later, on 3rd February, another group of taxi operators, who service the Waltham Park Road route, withdrew their services and lit debris on the road to draw attention to similar grievances. Their protest brought traffic to a standstill, affecting the daily commute of some passengers. Despite this, the road blockages were eventually cleared, with police redirecting traffic around the impromptu barricades.
Protest against Portmore Parish decision
On 24th February 2025, Portmore residents took to the streets to oppose the Government’s decision to designate Portmore as Jamaica’s 15th parish. They voiced their dissent with placards reading things like “Abuse of power” and “Save our democracy”. In early February 2025, the Local Government Minister fast-tracked the Parish Boundaries (Portmore) Bill through Parliament. However, many locals argued that this was done without adequate consultation with Portmore’s citizens.
Community health aides stage sick-out for better conditions
On 27th and 28th January 2025, hundreds of health aides island-wide staged a coordinated sick-out to demand long-promised employment benefits. Their claims focused on unpaid uniform and tailoring allowances, inadequate mileage reimbursement for home visits, and the need for an updated job description reflecting expanded responsibilities.
Jesse James Clarke, the opposition People’s National Party (PNP) Junior Spokesperson on Health and Wellness, voiced support for the workers, criticising what he described as the government’s neglect of those providing care “at the grassroots level”. In response, the government engaged in dialogue to seek a resolution, though concrete outcomes were still pending at the quarter’s end.
Midwives protest unpaid allowances
The health sector unrest continued into March. On 24th March 2025, midwives at several public health facilities in St. Elizabeth parish staged a protest over unpaid on-call allowances. Nearly 90 per cent of the midwives in the parish called in sick or otherwise absented themselves as part of the protest, significantly curtailing services at local clinics and hospitals. These midwives reported that they had not received the on-call payments due to them since January 2025, despite submitting the required claims.
University staff protest over unpaid salaries
On 24th February 2025, administrative, technical and ancillary staff at the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) staged a protest over outstanding retroactive salary payments. Many of the staff dressed in black as a sign of solidarity, padlocked the entrances to the university campus, and stood at the gates with placards. The protest effectively shut down normal access to UTech for a time. President of the UTech Administrative Staff Association, Janet Grayson, said that non-academic staff had been waiting for years for retroactive payments stemming from a public sector reclassification exercise, despite an agreement being signed in October 2024.
Demonstration disrupts schools in St. Elizabeth
On 6th January 2025, a violent protest in Exton, South East St. Elizabeth, caused major traffic disruptions and delayed hundreds of students on the first day of Easter school term. Protesters blocked sections of the Junction-Southfield main road and the Brinkley–Exton intersection, forcing police to divert traffic onto longer routes. Students from several schools, including St. Elizabeth Technical High, BB Coke High, Hampton School, Munro College and Ballards Valley Primary, were affected.
Residents reportedly set piles of debris alight from around 4 a.m. and threw stones at firefighters who attempted to extinguish the flames. Police later cleared the area, although roads remained unmanned once the fires were put out.
The protest’s origins were disputed. Some reports linked it to residents opposing Norman Scott, the People’s National Party (PNP) caretaker for the constituency, while Councillor Layton Smith, vice-chairman of the PNP in the area, claimed the action was organised by a supporter of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). Member of Parliament Franklin Witter denied any JLP involvement, describing reports of political interference as “false”.