Dancehall deejay Jahshii and several people who attended an event that looked like a party on Christmas Eve night in Clarendon were arrested for breaching the Disaster Risk Management Act.
The Act prohibits gatherings of more than ten people, and specifically, parties are on that list, even though Prime Minister Andrew Holness weeks ago declared that the curfew hours would be extended to 1 PM on particular holiday nights such as Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Videos shared on Twitter showed a packed crowd with no social distancing as people enjoyed the music that was loudly playing.
The artist was also seen in a video where he is arrested on stage. The 30-second clip shows the artist singing on a crowded stage before an officer in a brown uniform can be seen shoving the artist and others off the stage.
The arrest was confirmed by the Jamaica Constabulary Force which did not say how many people were arrested but said that an entertainer was taken into custody.
Jahshii, whose real name is Mluleki Tafari Clarke, is one of the hottest artists right now. He rose to prominence with songs like “Cream of the Crop”, and “25/8”. He also ruffled feathers last week as he claimed in an interview that the crime in Jamaica was also caused by corrupt police officers. The entertainer came under criticism by other entertainers who said his statements will cause a rift between the police and dancehall entertainers would be targeted by the police.
In the meantime, the JCF and the Local Government Ministry say that entertainment events are illegal because permits are not granted. The DRMA measures for the current period into January do not allow parties.
Despite that, Jahshii’s image was used to promote a Christmas Eve party in Clarendon parish, where hundreds seemed to have attended the event.
