And while the weekend was beset by crime, there were also plenty of public events - not least of which was the news that the Chetumal Street squatters are organizing themselves.
We're now calling them the Chetumal Street squatters because while we had used the Faber's Road reference previously - Faber's Road already has an extension and second because - even though it is on the southside, the plan is that the road they are squatting on will lead to a new bridge which will connect directly to Chetumal street - therefore, the Chetumal Street squatters.
Well, they had a meeting on Sunday morning to organize themselves and get sage advice from the number one grassroots squatter Nigel Petillo. He told us what he told them:….
Nigel Petillo, President BGYEAH
"We were invited here, we have to come and find out what is going here. We came here to hear their part of the story; we cane to see the information that they have about the private land and the public land. Our understanding was that you need to identify land before you go to the Ministry of natural Resources to say 'I want that piece of land, is it available' these people have done that. They came here and settle on land that they have identified and then they went - their procedure now is to go to the ministry and say that they want this piece of land. Only to find out now that the government says that they will do a bus terminal and basketball stadium, it belongs to some estate of the Shaw's'. All these people need is to gather together and if they can't get this land then there must be land that is available somewhere for us. These people here proof that they need land and not only them need a piece of land - thousands of people out here need land but they were not strong enough to come out here to put down a little structure and start to live."
Squatter
"I will stand my ground. I am a Belizean, I born and grew up here and I am entitled for a piece of land. The Spanish people came and they squat, they have already started to build their house. They want to stop me from building my house. Why can't I build my house like what the Spanish people are doing? Every squat areas that you go; who do you see taking it over? It's the Spanish people; you can hardly see black people. I will stand my ground and hold my land. I entitled for a piece of land."
Jules Vasquez
"You were urging the people out here today to exercise some caution. Why is that?"
Sherwin White, Squatter
"Well I believe that in every situation we have to have a clear head, we cannot allow anybody to tell us to be defiant to the law. The government says that they have these land set aside for a particular project that will benefit all Belizeans, whether the people might not see it that way because everybody wants a piece of land, it's not actually that they want a piece and need a piece of land and it's their first time; a lot of people come back here who already have and they come to chop here because they see other people chopping land here. Everybody believes this is a situation like what happen in Harmonyville that the same thing can happen out here."
Aaron Sanchez, Squatter
"We will meet here every Sunday. We will continue to work during the week and whatever progress we will relate back to the people on Sunday. This is just the beginning; we know that it will not be right now. We don't care how long it takes; we will be out here working."
Michael Pollard, Squatter
"I need to get a piece of land back here because I have my children who need a piece of land. My children cannot do it because they are young and so I am back here to put in work for them and I have to make sure that they get a piece of land so that is what I am back here for, for them and not for me because I have a little piece that I am trying to develop. I ask the government for one load of clay and sand and they cannot give me yet so I come here to chop because when I get my piece I will make sure that I fill it up so I can develop it for my children, because what I am working for is my children. Nothing that I am working for is for me."
The group collected about 200 signatures and plans to meet every Sunday…
