7 News Belize

PM Makes Nice With COLA
posted (February 6, 2013)
Two weeks ago when the ICJ campaign was launched - a trio of COLA activists were thrown out of the event - when it appeared that they might be making some kind of No-ICJ protest.

It was a non-event really, but today Geovannie Brackett - the COLA President who also doubles as a PLUS TV journalist got a chance to advance his self-interest and press the Prime Minister for an explanation.

On the day of the event the PM said he knew nothing of it, but today it seemed he had been briefed and was ready to joust:

Reporter
"Anti-ICJ forces were apparently tossed out of the gathering, I think that you said at the time that you had not -"

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"That includes my good friend Geovannie? Was he there as a member of the media, or as a protestor? [That is] a very important distinction. Please proceed."

Reporter
"I don't know if he was, in fact, he and others were put out of the gathering. I think you said that you had not seen it, but they were there just to express their opinions. They have a right to do that, don't they?"

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"Absolutely, but I am not sure if that event was sort of by invitation only. Certainly, when I came downstairs, I saw Geovannie, Sharon Pitts and others with their placards, but that was perfectly in order. But, I can understand why in terms of upstairs, which was an event, that I believe was an invitation-only event, the police might have felt that they would not tolerate any disruption. I think you turned out to be an extremely stealthy fellow because nobody even knew that you - I gather - took in your press bag, and nobody knew that you had your placard concealed in that press bag, so there could not have been any pre-arranged notion or directive for you to be put out because they took you at your word, knowing what an honest fellow you were when you said that you were not going there to cause any trouble."


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