The annual Boxing Day street jam in St. John’s came to an abrupt end due to the intervention of Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who addressed a potentially dangerous situation involving two young boys.
The Prime Minister took to Facebook to share the incident, expressing concern over the involvement of violent youths in the festivities.
According to Browne’s post, the street jam ended prematurely as a result of the disruptive behavior exhibited by the two boys, aged approximately 11/12 and 13/14.
“I want to commend Conny as an elder for listening to me when I saw these 2 little boys walking through the band looking for someone,” Browne wrote. He described a scene where one of the boys had a cutlass, and the other had a long knife. The Prime Minister intervened by instructing onlookers to disarm the boys rather than resorting to violence.
Browne emphasized the urgency of addressing such incidents before upcoming events, particularly Labor Day and Carnival in 2024.
He urged immediate action to ensure the safety of participants and attendees at street events in the future.
“THIS HAS TO BE ADDRESSED WITH GREAT URGENCY BEFORE LABOR DAY AND CARNIVAL 2024, as a matter of fact, every street event from here onwards!!!” Browne emphasized in his Facebook post.
The Prime Minister’s call for swift action highlights the need for enhanced security measures and community engagement to prevent incidents of violence during public gatherings.
Authorities are expected to respond promptly to the Prime Minister’s concerns and work towards creating a safer environment for future events in Antigua and Barbuda.