7 News Belize

The Fire Last Time
posted (October 6, 2016)
This week, the nation has faced a teacher's strike, and we've also seen bonfire on bridges in Belize City and the Hummingbird Highway.

That of course, evokes memories the troubles of 2005 when teachers struck for 10 school days between January 24 and February 7, and then in April of 2005, there was the famous bonfire on the Belcan Bridge, which then led to looting in downtown Belize City.

The social ferment at that time was far different than it is in 2016: there was much more agitation and discontent, and many more issues leading to national utility outages - most memorably a complete collapse of the phone system blocking out Belize form the world.

So when the bonfire was lit on the Belcan Bridge on the night of April 21, 2005, it came organically out of a movement, and a sentiment that had been building for months. And what caused the scales to tip in the favour of anarchy that evening is probably nothing more than poor police management of a rebellious crowd - which started with students. We look back briefly at the event of that evening:..

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