So far we've showed you what happened in the morning on the stairs of the National Assembly and a little bit of the crowds that went to the capital. But for those who went; why did they go? Keith Swift spoke to many who showed up in Belmopan and their reason was clear.
Henry Charles Usher, PUP Secretary General
"We want to make the message loud and clear that the Universal issue is about $33 million, it is about equal health care in this country. We support Universal, we support our party leader, we support the Prime Minister."
Keith Swift,
Critics would say you brought our your crowd to create tension.
Henry Charles Usher,
"No the tension was created by the UDP and Channel 7. They are the ones creating tensions in this country. There's nobody else creating tension. We are out there in a peaceful tension."
Keith Swift,
Sir not Channel 7, I work there and we report the facts.
Henry Charles Usher,
"Channel 7 twists the facts Keith, don't pretend out here. Channel 7 comes out here and twists whatever they want to say."
KS: Sir you brought out your marching band. Why?
Man #1: We need to know what is going on. We as youths, we have to make them know that we are ready to make noise too. We won't stay quiet with everything they are doing us. We are young and thing but we know what is going on. We know what the government is doing and thing and that has to stop. We are ready to make noise and they can't stop us either because this is a free country or so they say. We are trying to make it free for us.
KS: You brought your son with you to today's demonstration. Why?
Man #2: Because he is the future for Belize and that is why he is with me. He understands why we are here because all of us are UDP.
KS: You are a teacher and you should be on a retreat in Corozal. Why did you choose to be here?
Woman #1: Because it is not time to partying. This is very serious business. The government is playing with our money and they are trying to tell us that we have to pay a debt that we didn't occur personally so I made a stand to come out here because I am saying no.
KS: Why did you bring your kids out here?
Woman #2: Well I am out here exactly fighting for this cause. I am a single parent and my son right here going to high school and the drama we have to go through to try and get money to send him to high school and these people up there are just stealing our money so this is our cause out here.
KS: You lost your job this week, maybe because of your affiliation with
the Association of Concerned Belizeans but you're still out. Why?
Glen Ysaguierre: Well Keith its not maybe because of my affiliation with the ACB, it is because of that I lost my job. But that is not really the issue, my losing job, if that is what it takes for people to realize the situation is country is in and how far this government is prepared to go to satisfy individual private interests, then I'll lose any amount of jobs to come out here and have this happen."
Dylan Reneau: We are out here to protest any business that the government raises in order to pay the private loan of Universal Health Services.
Michael Young: With my bad foot, I came out here to express solidarity really with the people of Belize. We are
simply not going to allow one man to dictate to this nation and that's the reason why I'm here today.
Woman #3: I came out here to tell the Prime Minister that we are not going to pay any debt. I am a student of SJC-JC graduating next week. I need a scholarship and I can't go and ask them for anything and I am advocating for the rest of the SJC students to come out here next week because we won't stop. Even if it is next week, we won't stop until we let the Prime Minister know that we are not going to pay any money."
