NTUCB Cries Foul After Police Deny Protest Permit

Tensions are rising between the trade unions and law enforcement tonight. The National Trade Union Congress of Belize says police have turned down their official request to demonstrate outside the Social Security Board’s Belize City office tomorrow, even though union leaders insist they followed every legal step required. The plan, they say, was a peaceful lunchtime protest from ten to two, timed so workers could take part without leaving their jobs for the day. But police reportedly told the unions that the time slot was already approved for the United Democratic Party and suggested they pick another day. According to NTUCB President Ella Waight, that response is disappointing, it’s also alarming. She says it sends a dangerous signal about workers’ rights and the freedom to protest in this country. And tonight, she’s explaining why the unions believe this issue goes far beyond a denied permit.

 

Ella Waight, President, National Trade Union Congress of Belize

“So the general council decided that we must ensure that we – we were actually applying to be the ones that arrive for the permit for tomorrow to protest, but we were denied that permit. We were told that the United Democratic Party had already applied for one, but our period we had applied for, would have applied for was from ten to two to encourage workers to come out during the lunch break. We were denied that permit, and I find that very concerning because that’s our right to go through the process, which we did the legal process to apply for a permit. I was spoken to very, to be very honest, very rudely by the officer indicating well if the UDP – well we joined the UDP last session, which we did not, we went around on our own then we should do the same this time. And they even told us that why don’t you guys apply for another day? That’s not the prerogative of the police department to tell us when to protest. That’s our right as workers and citizens of this country. So I wanted to share that with the public that this is becoming very – I think we are being censored in a way, to conduct our right to protest as Belizeans, and that’s very concerning. If that’s the way we’re going to go down in history where we cannot be allowed to protest when we wish to, going through the legal process, that is very dangerous and concerning.”

 

NTUCB President Ella Waight says the unions aren’t backing down, warning that when workers are denied the chance to protest after following the law, it puts fundamental rights and Belize’s democratic freedoms at serious risk.