COLD AND DANGEROUS By Hon Francis Fonseca The cold heart and heavy hand of the UDP Government was on full display this past Monday in Belize City where workers of Belize Maintenance Limited Co. (BML) once again took to the streets to protest against Mayor Darrel Bradley and the UDP Belize City Council for consistently failing to meet its financial obligations to BML who in turn is then unable to pay their worker’s salaries. Yes these humble, tired and frustrated workers were in violation of the letter of the law but there was absolutely no justification for them being rounded up, detained at the Queen Street Police Station for some 10 hours, and then profiled like common criminals. If ever a clear warning at the Police Station would suffice this was the occasion. This over-reaction to the protest of very poor Belizeans exposes a cold, heartless and very dangerous UDP Government. These BML workers are faced with poverty and uncertainty each and every day. When they don’t get paid, they and their children don’t eat. It’s as simple as that. They have every right to stand up for their jobs and their families and all Belizeans must stand with them! The heavy political hand of the UDP also swooped down on our own Lt. Albert Vaughan who was covering the protest for Vibes Radio and the Belize Times. Albert is not a journalist. He is the Chairman of the Freetown Division and the very popular co-host of Vibes Radio’s Morning Buzz alongside Marshall Nunez. He was targeted, detained and later charged with loitering. His phone and camera were taken away and searched by the Police. All of the photos on his camera were deleted. This is a scandalous attack on his personal freedom and constitutional rights as a Belizean Citizen. Lt. Vaughan is a veteran of the Belize Defense Force who has served his country with dignity. His detention and treatment at the hands of a few UDP officers in the Belize Police Department should concern all right thinking Belizeans. The UDP strategy is to BUY those who are for sale and to INTIMIDATE those who refuse to be bought. We in the PUP will not be intimidated! We stand in solidarity with our workers and our brother Albert Vaughan! Touch one Touch all!!
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 18:59:59 +0000
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