And while Minister Martinez was on Chetumal Street in the afternoon, in the morning, Belizeans For Justice President Yolanda Schackron was at the Queen Street Police Station.
This morning the buzz went out that Schackron was wanted to answer to a charge of assault on a police officer - which is considered aggravated assault.
7news has seen a complaint from PC Albert Meyers who claims that while at the Belcan Bridge yesterday Yolanda Schakron slapped him in the face for no reason. He says I happened when he and other officers formed a line across the bridge. PC Meyers has requested court action. So this morning, in the presence of her attorney Schakron turned herself into Police - here's what she told us before going into the station:…
Jules Vasquez
"Why are you here?"
Yolanda Schakron, President - Belizeans for Justice
"I hear that they want to arrest me so I came to give myself in."
Jules Vasquez
"You are turning yourself in. So why would they arrest you?"
Yolanda Schakron, President - Belizeans for Justice
"I have no idea and so we are going to find out."
Jules Vasquez
"I heard that you assaulted a police officer and that you will be charged with aggravated assault."
Yolanda Schakron, President - Belizeans for Justice
"Whatever I guess. I don't know."
Jules Vasquez
"Did you assault a police officer?"
Yolanda Schakron, President - Belizeans for Justice
"I have nothing else to say. I need to go inside."
And while Schakron was being processed which took over an hour, a crowd of supporters gathered outside - creating critical mass - and a general sense of being down for whatever came next.
And it seems the crowd's move was well played - because at 12:15 Shackron emerged without a charge - after an order came down form the top brass saying she should be released and may be summoned at a later date.
For this activist - who spent all of an hour with police, that meant leaving the station to wild applause:
Yolanda Schakron, President - Belizeans for Justice
"This is a show of true democracy. I have gotten stronger and I will not stop. The war has just begun."
Reporter
"When are you going to trial?"
Yolanda Schakron, President - Belizeans for Justice
"I don't know. They say that they will be contacting my attorneys' because they want cooler heads to prevail. I guess the crowd out here has intimidated them and so i really want to thank you all. Thank you very much."
Jules Vasquez
"But did you slap a police officer as is being allege?"
Yolanda Schakron, President - Belizeans for Justice
"No. I didn't do anything."
Jules Vasquez
"I saw you close on the line. I saw you up in their face."
Yolanda Schakron, President - Belizeans for Justice
"We have to tell them something. We love the police; we don't have anything against the police officers. They are just doing their jobs - they have to follow orders from above, I was treated really well in there I must say. Thank you police officers."
Jules Vasquez
"You think this is a kind of intimidation?"
Yolanda Schakron, President - Belizeans for Justice
"It is intimidation and harassment."
Jules Vasquez
"How about the alternate perception - maybe they are doing their job and PC Meyers feel that you really assault him."
Yolanda Schakron, President - Belizeans for Justice
"Well if they feel they are doing their jobs, maybe this should be an example and maybe they should do their job about the crime situation too right."
And while that's the end of it for Schackron for the time being, for media worker - slash - activist - Giovanni Brackett, it's just beginning. As he got a warning from the officer commanding Eastern Division delivered to his home this evening. We'll have his reaction to it later in the news….
