LOOKING on from outside, the barricades and sand bags mounted at the entrances to Tivoli Gardens give the impression of a community at war.

However, a walk through the West Kingston power base of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke and the ruling Jamaica Labour Party yesterday offered a different picture.

"We are in fear, but it is not from what is inside the community," one woman who appeared to be in her 60s told the Observer during a tour of a section of Tivoli known as Top Ten.

The woman said that despite the perception on the outside, her community was a peaceful place.

As she spoke, a group of children was seen playing in the area.

In another section of Top Ten, scores of mostly women were seen preparing placards to join yesterday's street demonstration in support of Coke and in protest against a claim by the police that residents there were being held hostage by thugs. The police had also said that they received information that residents' cell phones were being confiscated by gunmen.

"The man no do nobody nothing. We can walk free; is lie them a tell say we cannot come out," said one woman.

Another woman, who gave her name as Mizzie, held up a cell phone and said: "See it there, we have we cellular phones. Them fi leave the youth alone; the youth is for the people."