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Jules Vasquez Reporting:

At 11:25 am, the crowd ended up here about walking up the approach to the Belcan Bridge engaging in a spontaneous protest - the emotional timber was the same that we had seen on Chetumal Street.

Police appeared happy to follow behind them until they got on the bridge - which is where the walking stopped and the chanting began.

Placards were quickly drawn up by members of COLA and the PUP - as they were now blocking the northbound lane:

And then they went to block the other side - even as police tried to keep things moving on both sides of the bridge - with the squatters in the middle - including children, forcing the head of patrol branch to make an intervention.

ACP Grinage
"You have no authority to block the bridge. You all will have to remove yourselves off the bridge immediately. You understand me?"

And with this swell of outrage - the 35 or so squatters took back control of one lane of traffic chanting included And direct appeals to drivers

Squatter
"You think that this is something good to make a policeman come and break down our house?"

But COLA not squatters were verbalizing the position:

Moses Sulph, President-COLA
"Look how much kids are out here? Some of them weren't even able to go to school today because they broke down their houses from 4 o'clock in the morning. The people's belongings were thrown out like rag-dolls. It is time for this government to stop what it's doing. They're violating the human rights of these people. The human rights of our people must be respected."

Marion Ali, Love News
"But on the other side of the coin, were these people warned? Were they cautioned; were they told to leave - to evacuate?"

Moses Sulph
"It is possible that they were cautioned to leave, however, leave and go where?"

And they would not leave the bridge either - baiting police into a confrontation as they now blocked the whole bridge. Police huddled to re-strategize and held a line at the center of the bridge, which lent itself to jarring images of children and machine guns in close proximity.

The children were a central feature of this protest - joining in with their parents - they chanted with righteous indignation, and keeping them on the frontline kept the armed soldiers and police at bay

Until about 20 minutes of blocking the traffic at height of the midday rush had passed ACP Grinage came with one more warning

ACP Grinage
"Gentlemen and ladies, this is an illegal gathering, again. I am advising you all, we are about to remove everybody off the bridge. Either you move voluntarily, or you will be forcibly removed. So please, remove yourself off of the bridge."

And with that police began advancing on the crowd and all hell broke loose - we'll just let the tape roll.

And while we thought a submission hold knocked out this 14 year old turns out he was just playing possum because he turned on police - which ended up costing the teenager a gratuitous kick in the ribs - and a rough toss into the back of the truck.

The confrontation continued even as they were leaving the bridge - this time with PUP media operators and activists on the frontline, but police took it back incrementally.

And with the riot squad on the ready - just across the street, the immigrants licked their wounds emotionally, and police made a direct appeal to those still standing on the road

ACP Elodio Aragon Jr.
We can't deal with that. I am out here to ensure that we have transport. people who are in this traffic-"

Activist
"You all went and took down their houses. Where will they sleep tonight?"

Elodio Aragon Jr.
"Listen to me, I am asking you all nicely. You all are doing an illegal gathering here. Please move."

Activist
"They would have been home in peace if you all hadn't gone and broken down their house-"

Elodio Aragon Jr.
You all don't want to listen. I will have to detain you all-"

Activist
"They would have been at home if you all didn't go and break down their house. Where are they to go now?"

The bridge was all cleared by 12:00 noon - freeing up traffic which had been blocked for about 40 minutes - a powerful statement - and one the leader of the opposition and his senior deputy capitalized on taking in the complaints about what these folks say is abusive authority, and consoling others:

Marion Ali, Love News
"What are you prepared to do to help them?"

Hon. John Briceno, Leader of Opposition
"Well, certainly we already have our legal advisor that's here with us, and he will be assisting some of them that have been already detained as I've been told, and we're going to find ways how we can, if necessarily, sue the government for the behavior that they have displayed here for the damages, and even the emotional distress that they've been causing. Not only the families, but even the children, this certainly unacceptable in 2011 in Belize."

Geovannie Brackett, Plus TV News
"But there are women and children who are here that won't have any place to sleep tonight. Do you think you all will be able to help them to maybe build a tent - do something for them to have somewhere to sleep."

Hon. John Briceno
"We are going to do our best to see how we can assist these people."

Hon. Cordel Hyde, Lake Independence Area Representative
"You see the problem is, its easy for someone who lives up the road, or someone who lives on the seaside to come and tell you that you have to move from out of that swamp. Its easy because you don't understand what is happening. To you it's just a little small house. To you, it's just a little "match box". To those people, that's everything that they have. So you have to approach that with some heart. Feel for these people. You don't have to go on "bad" - you don't have to flex every time. Everybody knows that you are the Government. Just take your time, and reason with these people. Nobody knew that the government wanted to build a city center - wanted to do a bus terminal there. Nobody, not myself, not any resident from there, nobody; you come and talk to people. Organize them and discuss with them and tell them that they're in the way, let's try to work this process out."

Police say they tried all that. ACP Aragon whose officers had been leading the way since morning discussed the entire operation

ACP Elodio Aragon Jr.
This morning the police, along with Lands Department, and people that we got to assist us. We went and we cleared out some of the people that were squatting on the Chetumal Street."

Jules Vasquez
"So what was involved? the dismantling or the breaking down of how many stuctures?"

Elodio Aragon Jr.
"It was just the dismantling of the stuctures out there?"

Jules Vasquez
"How many?"

Elodio Aragon Jr.
"It's about roughly 7 structures that were there - small structures that were there."

Jules Vasquez
"How many of the 7 stuctures were occupied?"

Elodio Aragon Jr. "As far as I know, well, Mr. Grinage was out there on the ground. As far as I know, it was only 1 that had someone in there. But that was locked up when we arrived there."

Isani Cayetano, Channel 5 News
"Why such a short notice before you guys sprang into action?"

Elodio Aragon Jr.
"No, We have already spoken to these people, time and time again. The last time you guys were out there, you say that we spoke to them - we gave them letters. We have spoken to them several times when we sent our patrols in there, to ask them to desist from what they are doing, as that land is Government land. Secondly, we had a meeting with the so-called chairperson, and we spoke to him on Monday again."

Marion Ali, Love News
"What was the reaction?"

Elodio Aragon Jr.
"Well, the situation is that these people do not want to abide by the law, and the Police Department will enforce. In no part of the world can people can just go squatting, on private property. We have been asking them to desist from time emmemorial, and they are not listening. So therefore, certain actions must be taken. And that is what has been done. Now, they coming out here and protesting on the street and blocking the bridge, does not go anywhere because the public out here needs to move freely. By them going on this protest, it just goes against what they are fighting for. As the police department, we will not allow that to happen, and that is why we came out here to ensure that we clear the roadways."

Isani Cayetano, Channel 5 News
"The force used against the kids, how do you explain that part of it?"

Elodio Aragon Jr.
"Listen, there is a lot of things happening out here, and people who are out here know what I'm talking about, right. This is not only about the squatters. You have other people with other motives out here. And that is what is creating this situation."

Jules Vasquez
"How do you answer to the legitimate criticizm that when the Chinese had a spontaneous protest, which did block up traffic across the whole city, that you all didn't stop them?"

Elodio Aragon Jr.
"Well listen, as far as I know, they were moved, and they moved. We asked these people the same thing, but they are intent on blocking the Belcan Bridge and that will not be allowed."

Jules Vasquez
"Okay, so if they had kept on in a procession-"

Elodio Aragon Jr.
"Well if they moved, I would have had no problem with it. Although they don't have a license, would look at maybe forgoing that. But coming to block the Belcan Bridge and interfering with the free flow of the general public, now that is where we have a concern with. And that is the why the Department comes out here, to ensure we have free movement for traffic."

Jules Vasquez
"Is there an alternate plan - do you know - because a lot of these people are saying that they are now homeless, and well it become your responsibility."

Elodio Aragon Jr.
"The reality, and people who are out there know, that majority of these people were just clearing land and putting up a shack. For us to say that they all lived out there, is not true."

And while police won this one tactically - public relations are another matter. But that aside, all indications are that we are entering a new phase of sustained resistance, led principally by a radicalized COLA.

Moses Sulph, President - COLA
"We are rising up in this country, and it's going to get to a point where you don't want it to go economically. And we don't want it to go there economically either. But what you need to do is you need to pay attention to the people, and stop blaming organizations like COLA, Belizeans For Justice, BIGYEAH, for uprising people when that's not the case. People are tired of oppressed."

Geovannie Brackett, Vice President - COLA
"After this, we will have to shut down all industry lock down BEL, WASA, BTL, everything. We have to take it to a next level, because our people are getting oppressed."

The two males who were detained at the Belcan Bridge, Felipe Martinez and the fourteen year old have not been charged - but they remain detained. Police say the teenager attacked them - and we can't say because our cameras were focused on another area when that particular confrontation started.

As for the situation generally we note that first, it was an operation ordered by the Ministry of Natural Resources. Second, it is notable of the creole squatters who we met in the area in March - and they were a good many of them - none of them were there present or visible today.