On Thursday, July 18, Jamaicans for Justice held a protest that lasted 67 minutes. It was held in honour of Nelson Mandela’s Birthday, during which it was suggested to spend 67 minutes (one for every year of Mr. Mandela’s service) in service. The protest was held to raise awareness of the government’s treatment of children in state care. Specifically, many children who come in contact with the law are placed in police lock-ups and children have historically been placed in adult facilities, which is in contravention of international law.

I attended the protest, which was held outside of the Ministry of Youth and Culture, for the story I am working on about this issue. I took some pictures and talked to both side, ministry staff as well as the protesters. JFJ delivered a letter to Minister Lisa Hanna, but dialogue between the two entities has of late been tense, to say the least.