‘Take your feet off our heads’ - Nurses protest violence against women

A wave of outrage swept across the island on Monday as some nurses went marching on the road, protesting the injuring of one of their own.

This stemmed from an altercation between a nurse and a man which was alleged to have been caused by road rage. St Andrew businessman Robert 'Andy' Bell, 65, has been charged with assault occasioning bodily harm, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and assault at common law. He is also facing firearm charges. The incident, which was reportedly caught on video, and shows the nurse being stomped in the head, has sparked islandwide demonstrations calling for justice and an end to violence against women. The message was spoken through talker phones and on placards - "We are tired. We are fed up. Enough is enough!"

President of the Jamaica Enrolled Nurses Association, Claudette Clarke-Waugh, didn't mince words as she stood at the start of the protest.

"We're hoping that justice will be served, but also for the others out there who are hiding under the shadows, who we don't know about -- we are letting them know that it is not okay," Clarke-Waugh declared. "We want to let them know that we are tired [and] fed up. Enough is enough!"

The voice that led the sea of placards, chants, and unity was Dawn Marie Richards, president of the Nurses Association of Jamaica, who said the protests go beyond one incident.

"We are trying our best to create continued awareness regarding violence against women and children in our country," Richards said. "We are hoping that we can impact the policymakers to ensure that when persons are caught, they are given the full brunt of the law." She stressed the need for education and prevention just as much as punishment.

"We also want to help our women and our children to learn how to identify signs of domestic abuse, signs that they can speak about, and find safe spaces," she continued. "As we speak there are other activities taking place across the island, Port Antonio, St James, Westmoreland, St Ann, [and] some parts of St Mary. So it's islandwide. The nurses have been mobilised islandwide."

When asked whether this was a one-off protest, Richards firmly replied "You will be seeing more and we will let you know when."

As chants of "Keep your feet off our heads" grew louder on East Street in Kingston, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton appeared, and the nurses voices grew stronger and their cries bolder.

"This morning I started off by joining the nurses at UHWI (University Hospital of the West Indies). They had a peaceful protest against the brutality inflicted on [the nurse]," Tufton told THE STAR. "I've been following the case, spoke with her husband shortly after the incident and reassured him that she would get the best possible care. She has been receiving not just clinical support, but psychological support as well." Tufton made it clear the Government stood behind health workers.

"It's a very traumatic experience. The medical fraternity is shaken. Nobody deserves this," he said. "Society really ought to protect our healthcare workers because without them, our response to health and wellness doesn't happen." Tufton acknowledged the broader issue of gender-based violence.

"It is a big issue, and [Gender] Minister [Olivia] Babsy Grange is on her way here. She's been championing this cause legislatively. But I will say when it occurs, the law needs to take its course."

Male nurses and doctors also stood side by side with their female colleagues in solidarity. Even a male trucker, seemingly in the middle of his delivery route, brought two massive red-painted posters condemning violence against women and nurses. The nurses shouted and applauded him as he drove off tooting the horn.