Emergency declared in Jamaica

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Emergency declared in Jamaica

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24 May,2010 01:39 pm

Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding imposed a state of emergency and people were urged to leave the citys roughest neighborhoods, as police clashed with armed gangs over the possible extradition of a drug suspect to the United States. Golding vowed a tough response to armed gangs behind a frenzy of violence in the capital Kingston, saying criminals will not be allowed to triumph. The criminal element who have placed the society under siege will not be allowed to triumph, Golding said in an address to the nation. Golding said the state of emergency will be a turning point for us as a nation to confront the powers of evil that have penalized the society and earned us the unenviable label as one of the murder capitals of the world. We must confront this criminal element with determination and unqualified resolve, he said. Coke, 42, is the reputed leader of the Shower Posse gang with branches all over the United States.He also heads the Tivoli Gardens community, which Prime Minister Golding represents in the Jamaican Parliament.The United States accuses Shower Posse members, under Cokes direction, of having sold marijuana and crack cocaine in New York City and other areas of the United States, funneling profits back to him.