Four men detained near King's House after human rights protest on Hope Road

Police detained four men on Monday following a human rights demonstration near King's House on Hope Road, among them Ambassador Luweel Rass Messfin Haile Selassie, leader of the Kingdom of the Debre Zeit of Human Rights Defenders.

Members of the group said they had come to place a document in the mailbox at the front of King's House. The material relates to a treason charge they have laid against the Governor General, stemming from his proclamation of King Charles as head of state on 8 September 2022. They argue that act, carried out without the people's consent, amounts to continued colonial rule over Jamaica.

Representatives said authorities had advance notice of the gathering through emails sent to the Governor General and through meetings with Jamaica Defence Force officials. Police attached to the Half Way Tree station arrived ahead of the group, with at least three patrol vehicles securing the area.

A group representative said officers ordered them to move before they could explain their purpose. They maintained they were only seeking to deliver papers and speak with the grievance department. According to the account, officers physically abused the ambassador and took him and other members into custody.

The group said they were directed away from the gate and told to walk 200 metres up Hope Road. Officers then stopped them individually, handcuffed them together, and began escorting them back toward King's House until a senior officer intervened, saying, "Why you cuff them? Why you cuff them? We never say if you cuff them. We tell you to send them up the road." Police then removed the handcuffs.

The demonstration continued on the sidewalk along Hope Road under police observation. One driver said officers also seized his vehicle. The group said that after considerable difficulty, they succeeded in placing their message in the Governor General's letterbox, but described the encounter as a violation by the state.

As a self-described sovereign body, members insisted the Jamaican state has no authority within their jurisdiction. They pledged to keep educating the public on human rights as part of their campaign against what they term British colonialism and said they are pursuing international recognition.

Officers at the scene could not comment on the allegations. The Jamaica Constabulary Force's Constabulary Communications Unit was contacted and indicated it would provide an update, but had not done so by broadcast time.