THE Opposition People's National Party (PNP) has expressed concerns about a possible threat to democracy by protests close to Gordon House in support of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke and criticised what it says is the silence of Prime Minister Bruce Golding.

The protests were sparked by the issuance of an arrest warrant for Dudus who the United States wants extradited on gun and drug trafficking charges. He is the don of the Tivoli Gardens community, nearby Parliament and also within Golding's constituency of West Kingston.

"It is apparent in this whole episode that the prospect of the capture of the Jamaican state by criminal elements is not a distant one, but represents a clear and present danger which must be responded to directly by the Government and the security forces with the support of all well thinking Jamaicans," said a statement from Peter Phillips, former security minister under the last PNP government.

Protests, which begun this morning, were also made by Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town residents against media reports that they were being 'held hostage' behind barricades erected by thugs in the area to prevent easy access by security forces seeking to arrest Dudus.

"The situation is made remarkably worse by the fact that in the face of this challenge to the authority of the state, the prime minister who is also the Member of Parliament is bafflingly silent and immobilised, the PNP said.