Earlier this week - on Tuesday, the Leader Of The Opposition applied for a permit to protest on Central American Boulevard adjacent to the Shell One Stop gas station. But, he only gave a day's notice - and it was denied.
So, the party chairman Mike Peyreffite applied again - on the 16th, this time he asked to protest next week Monday, August 22nd, in the same location.
And the answer came down from the Officer Commanding Eastern Division this evening: DE-NIED. This time the reason given was other security priorities and the ongoing state of emergency.
An hour ago via Zoom, the UDP Chairman told us its deliberate suppression of protest by the state:
Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, United Democratic Party
"No, you're not going to be given any permission to protest, because they have operational priorities elsewhere and the state of emergency which I have to say is not even in the area that we want to protest. I don't know what the difficulty is. Very smartly sent us the denial in writing at this hour on a Friday knowing we wanted to protest on Tuesday, because it would be very difficult now to get to the supreme court in time on Monday, especially since the court is in vacation and it's going to be tough for us to get before a judge to have that judge declare that we have a right to have a protest on Tuesday or we may just decide well listen, we have a right to free assembly in certain places that we want and as long as we're not breaking any laws, the streets do not belong to Johnny Briceno, they do not belong to his gas station, so we have to come up with ways as to how we want to have our voices heard."
Jules Vasquez
"Do you believe there is a deliberate attempt by the state or the security forces to suppress the opposition?"
Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, United Democratic Party
"I don't think that the commissioner wants a protest. I don't think that the CEO wants a protest nor the minister, they're very upset with us, because we keep calling for their resignation. So I think it is done out of spite. It's very cynical, it's very personal and its disrespectful. I checked with the former CEO who was the CEO from Jefferies to Chester, he could not come up with a single situation where we denied people who wanted to protest. We always granted people to protest because we believe that people have a right to have a voice."
Jules Vasquez
"Some of it may have to do with the location you all are choosing. I understand you all want to stage this protest in front or adjacent to the One-Stop Shell gas station which as we know is owned by the Briceno family business."
Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, United Democratic Party
"Yes, and I think has something to do with it as well. We have a government that is very insecure. We have a government that is very thiin-skinned. We live is a democracy where our voices will be heard one way or the other and if we have to go out there and possibly get arrested, than that's what we will do. But our voices will not be muffled. But this PUP government is telling us that we're not going to allow you that voice. Well the voices will be heard or something will be heard one way or the other, so I don't think this is very smart for them to do."
Jules Vasquez
"But who would be afraid of a UDP protest? we know that the opposition is divided, it is at a low point, one wonders if it is able to muster a real crowd."
Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, United Democratic Party
"If they were confident of that, they would have allowed us to have the protest to demonstrate what you just claimed may be the situation, wouldn't you? If you believe that we have no muscle and you believe that we have no ability to show anything in the streets, then you would allow us to have the protest."
Peyrefitte also noted that such denials usually come from the Commissioner of Police's office, not the commander of Eastern Division.
The Leader of the Opposition Shyne Barrow sent out a release a few minutes ago calling the decision "autocratic and authoritarian." He adds dramatically, quote, "The Briceno administration is exhibiting communist dictatorial tendencies evidenced by its treatment of the free press and now its attempt to stop the Opposition from protesting..."
And he ends defiantly by saying, quote, "We call on all Belizeans who are tired of inflation, corruption, high crime, food insecurity and the highest gas prices ever to join us on Tuesday August 23rd at the Prime Minister's shell gas station on Central America BLVD for a peaceful protest."
