And, like Matura, the PUP believes that it should not have gotten to lockdown, charges or fines in the first place.
Former Prime Minister Said Musa was in the Battlefield Park staging a licensed demonstration on a different issue, and while we had the opportunity we asked him about the decision to criminally prosecute the workers for their protest in front of City Hall on Monday.
Now, during the end of the tenure of the Musa Administration's second term in office, his Government faced sustained protest – and not with 41 people throwing garbage! In fact, there was a street riot in 2005 and chaos on at least a handful of occasions. Those cases resulted in arrests and dramatic police action, but, still, he told us that he was shocked to see the BML workers being locked up:
Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"I was completely shocked. I think the whole thing is outrageous, the way these poor citizens of our country, these poor hard working people are being treated; by the administration, by the authorities, starting with the mayor and the Belize City council. But it shouldn't stop there because the mayor and the Belize City council would not be acting the way they're acting with such arrogance if they do not get the guidance from up above, from the national government, from the prime minister right down. These people are simply fighting for their right to work, first of all, and secondly their right to be paid for their work. And to say that they are hauling them into the courts now for this simply exercise of their rights is a real outrage and a shocking thing. As one of the posters said yesterday, free the people and pay them, that's what should happen."
Daniel Ortiz
"Now sir, if indeed the government decides to step in and assist these people, do you think that it is coming after the fact that it should have been the first move?"
Rt. Hon. Said Musa
"Of course, I mean I would welcome the government intervening to help these people. These are people who desperately need help, and if Mr. Barrow and the U.D.P government had any sense they would intervene and help these people."
Today the Opposition released a statement condemning the decision from the police to take formal action against the workers.
Their release says, quote, "The BML workers a majority of whom are women have been roughed up, manhandled and humiliated in a manner that smacks of high-handedness, draconian conduct and blatant attempts at intimidation." End Quote.
The statement adds, "Any attempts now at damage control by the Prime Minister and his government are too little, too late."
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