Brief Detention Turns Yellowman into Protest Hero

By midday, Brian “Yellowman” Audinett was back on the streets, free from the jail cell that kept him from joining today’s protest. You’ll remember Audinett as the man who led demonstrators into the BTL compound just last Tuesday. So, was today’s detention about public safety, or stopping a repeat performance? Just before noon, Audinett walked onto the Belcan Bridge to rejoin fellow protesters, transformed by a few hours behind bars into something of a hero. And tonight, he tells us the story doesn’t end there, he says he plans to sue the Belize Police Department.

 

Brian “Yellowman” Audinett, Member, United Democratic Party

“Tell the Compol to bring the evidence that I mih the send the text or anything else on Facebook that we will have any kind of violence out here. We were going to be peaceful.”

 

Reporter

“So they had you at Queen Street?”

 

Brian “Yellowman” Audinett

“Yes.”

 

Reporter

“Do you think they had you arrested just to keep you away?”

 

Brian “Yellowman” Audinett

“That is it and we are going to sue the police department.”

 

Reporter

Are you a member of a gang?

 

Brian “Yellowman” Audinett

“I nuh gangbang, I am a member of the United Democratic Party. I appreciate the support form the people. The people understand that we are doing right now is fighting for the rights of the Belizean people and we are talking about an administration that is prepared to acquire Smart that will not benefit the Belizean people but a few people in this country.”

Reporter

“You were not roughed up in the cell?”

 

Brian “Yellowman” Audinett

“No, no, the police was nice. They were just doing their job.”

 

And while Audinett insists he was detained simply to keep him off the protest line, he’s now vowing to take the Belize Police Department to court, saying there were no threats of violence and no gang ties, only politics at play.