As we mentioned earlier, the Union members weren't alone on Independence Hill today. Though the crowd was modest the Opposition supporters and other independent protestors tried to make up with spirit what they lacked in numbers. There were those now ubiquitous Garifuna drummers, alongside some UDP party faithfuls, and even some notables like Evan X Hyde on hand. They all converged on independence Hill to support the unions and some to rally for their own cause. We begin our coverage of this part of the protest with ire from a self-proclaimed diehard pup supporter who today told us she has fallen out of love with her party and this government.
Protestor #1: I am a diehard PUP, I won't deny it to nobody, but look at the price on the things which Mr. Musa is putting and we poor. We have to send our kids to school with nothing to eat because we can't afford it. If bread have to go to $1.50 and you can only hustle $1, how will you buy the bread out of the $1. I would want Musa just drive down back the tax. Bring back things to the normal how it was so we could at least pick what we can pick up because right now we are starving. We are starving and hell if he is somebody who is fighting for his country, he isn't supposed to punish us like this and not only we the parents but also the children. I am a PUP, I won't deny it, but I don't like what he is doing to our country.
Protestor #2: I am not satisfied with what is happening in our country because the poor kids might be suffering tomorrow. This is worse than what the Bible told us because the Minister is not seeking for us, he is just trying to betray his own Belizean people.
Protestor #3: I am just out here today because you know everybody is feel and I know I will feel too. Poor people are punishing my bwoy and we have to understand that everybody has feelings.
Protestor #4: At the moment we can't stand no more taxes man. We are poor. There are other people who have investments of millions and millions of dollars and they are paying no taxes. They are paying no taxes and we the poor have to pay taxes. We love Said Musa because we put him there, the people put him there, but he failed us. He really has failed us and instead of him straightening up he is making it worse. He is raising taxes on us, how will we live?
Oscar Ayuso, UDP Deputy Leader
"We need to make this government understand that people are demanding that there should not be anymore taxes. I believe the government needs to understand what is going on in this country and the government should resign and call for new elections."
Odinga Lumumba,
"This is an issue which is affecting the whole country and that is the reason why I am here. I am not here for political reasons. I am here for national reasons. The nation is in crisis and what we want to accomplish is to change this form of system which is suppressing the majority of the people."
And while the Chamber of Commerce yesterday said they weren't officially participating in the protest as a group, they did encourage members to attend. Well today the only businessman we found actively protesting was the always outspoken Dave Habet. He today proclaimed the PUP as the Prostitutes United Party. He told us why.
Dave Habet, Businessman
"I am here to speak out on behalf of the children who will be affected
and who are already being affected by the People's United Party which has become a party for hire and the kids, my children and future grandchildren, can't speak for themselves that is why I am here, to let the country know that some of us will stand up because the people are feeling the pain. It is a whole party, supported by their chairperson, their friends, by their contributors so it's a party thing and its time to get rid of this bunch of prostitutes. That's why I'm here saying that what's they are a prostitutes united party."
And beside the partisan supporters, there was one noteworthy group of Protestors who traveled 3 hours to be in Belmopan. They are students From the University of Belize's Toledo campus. The students traveled to Independence Hill to demand autonomy for the national university. The President and Vice-President of the student government at UB's Toledo Campus told us why they made the trip.
President UB Toledo Student Government
"UB has been politically influenced whereby decisions cannot be made directly from the administrators itself. We are here to voice our message to the Ministry reference that. We got a reply from him but we are totally unsatisfied with it."
Vice-President UB Toledo Student Government
"I am specifically out here supporting the Toledo students and the protest and everything in general because we the students will be here to support. We are future leaders of this country and in our mission it says we are the catalyst for change. If we are the catalyst for change then we have to look into this issue because this is a serious issue where we as students we will be future leaders of this and whatever decision the government makes now will affect future students and we presently as current students. We want autonomy and we want the government give more funding to the University because especially in Toledo we don't have computers. The computers that we have aren't them don't have ink, they don't have paper. If we are going to a university we are supposed to have all of these things. And then when we have to cry for ink or paper or we have to postpone a test or an exam because these things, ink and paper are supposed to be there. They have to listen to us."
The students say they are asking for a meeting with the Prime Minister because they claim the University administration have turned a blind eye to their concerns.
