‘No More Violence’ - Bounty Killer rallies protesters ahead of Silvera sentencing

Jamaican dancehall icon Bounty Killer has lent his powerful voice to a peaceful protest organised by friends of Melissa Silvera, ahead of the sentencing of her husband, Jolyan Silvera, scheduled for this Friday.

The gathering is set for tomorrow, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Emancipation Park.

"We are gathering, in solidarity, to publicly reject the social norms and the legislative gaps that continue to leave Jamaican women and girls vulnerable to gender-based violence," Bounty Killer said in a post on his Instagram.

"No More Excuses. No More Silence. No More Violence," the post added.

Melissa Silvera was found dead at their Stony Hill, St Andrew, home on November 10, 2023. Initially believed to have died peacefully in her sleep, an autopsy later revealed bullet fragments in her body.

Her husband, Jolyan, who served as Member of Parliament for St Mary Western between 2011 and 2016, has confessed to killing his wife. Originally charged with murder, he pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter and has also admitted to a firearm felony charge.

Bounty Killer has been vocal in his criticism of the former lawmaker, who entered parliament on a People's National Party ticket. Commenting on an article posted on this newspaper's Instagram account last month, he described Silvera as a "lone devil in the flesh."

He added that the crying Silvera displayed at his wife's funeral "made him fit for Hollywood," and expressed hope that the heavy hand of justice will deal with him harshly.

Recalling a past incident angrily, Bounty Killer said: "How this bitch styled me and mi father, @ninjaman_music, the morning we went to counsel the members of the security forces at the Conference Centre a few years."

Silvera had criticised Bounty Killer and Ninja Man in a 2017 Facebook post, when they were invited as motivational speakers for the JCF and other security forces, suggesting their past legal troubles made them unsuitable as role models. But for Bounty Killer, the tables have now turned.

"Jah not sleeping at all," the Warlord wrote. "Your time come now."

Participants in tomorrow's protest are encouraged to bring banners, wear black as a symbol of peace, and respect the non-violent nature of the event.