The Coral Gardens Incident, also known as the Coral Gardens Massacre or Bad Friday, occurred in Jamaica from April 11 to 13, 1963. This tragic event involved the mass arrest, torture, and killing of Rastafarians by Jamaican police and military forces.(Our History)
Background
Tensions between the Rastafarian community and the Jamaican government had been escalating for years. Rastafarians were often subjected to police brutality, arbitrary arrests, and societal discrimination. In 1961, a Rastafarian named Rudolph Franklyn was shot multiple times by police during a land dispute in Coral Gardens, Montego Bay. After surviving the shooting, he was arrested for cannabis possession and imprisoned for six months.(Jamaica Gleaner, Wikipedia)
The Incident
Upon his release in 1963, Franklyn sought revenge against those who had wronged him. On April 11, he and others attempted to burn down a gas station in Coral Gardens, leading to a violent confrontation. The clash resulted in the deaths of three Rastafarians, two policemen, and three civilians. In response, Prime Minister Alexander Bustamante ordered security forces to “Bring in all Rastas, dead or alive.” Over the next two days, more than 150 Rastafarians were rounded up, many of whom were tortured, beaten, and had their dreadlocks forcibly cut. Some were detained without charge, and others were never seen again.(Wikipedia, Wikipedia, acij-ioj.org.jm)
Aftermath and Apology
For decades, the Jamaican government denied or downplayed the events at Coral Gardens. However, in 2015, the Public Defender’s Office conducted an investigation and recommended reparations for the victims. In April 2017, Prime Minister Andrew Holness formally apologized for the incident, acknowledging it as a grave injustice. The government established a J$10 million trust fund to assist survivors and their families and designated Pinnacle, a site significant to Rastafarian history, as a protected heritage site.(Our History, Wikipedia)
The Coral Gardens Incident remains a somber reminder of the systemic oppression faced by the Rastafarian community in Jamaica. It has been commemorated in documentaries such as Bad Friday: Rastafari After Coral Gardens and continues to be a focal point for discussions on religious freedom and human rights in the Caribbean.
For a more comprehensive understanding, you can refer to the Public Defender’s report on the incident and the Wikipedia article.
📜 Primary Sources
1. Office of the Public Defender (Jamaica)
🔗 Full Report: Investigation Into The April 1963 Incident at Coral Gardens (PDF)
- Jamaica’s Public Defender’s official investigation and findings (2015–2017)
- Includes testimonies, photos, victim names, and legal recommendations
2. Jamaica Gleaner Archives
🔗 Website: jamaica-gleaner.com
- News articles from 1963 and retrospectives
- Used for government responses, survivor statements, and political commentary
🎥 Documentaries
3. “Bad Friday: Rastafari After Coral Gardens” (2011)
Creators: Deborah A. Thomas, John L. Jackson Jr., Junior “Gabu” Wedderburn
🔗 Info: IMDb
- Documentary film featuring survivor testimonies and archival footage
- Widely cited in cultural and academic studies on state violence in Jamaica
📚 Academic & Cultural Publications
4. Thomas, Deborah A.
Book: Political Life in the Wake of the Plantation: Sovereignty, Witnessing, Repair
- Explores Coral Gardens within a broader post-colonial framework
- Combines ethnography and Rastafari oral history
5. University of the West Indies (UWI) Archives
- Holds oral history projects and legal documents regarding the Coral Gardens events
- Often cited in legal and sociological studies of Caribbean justice systems
📰 Media & Advocacy Outlets
6. Rastafari TV Network
🔗 Article: Dominica’s “The Dread Act” Revisited – Created to Stop Rastafari
- Historical perspective linking Coral Gardens and broader Caribbean persecution
7. DomFari Archive – The Dread Act
🔗 Exhibit: The Dread Act – DomFari
- Contextualizes persecution of Rastafari in Dominica and links to Coral Gardens
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