FACEBOOK - it's a social media designed for keeping in contact with friends, but its also become platform for anyone with an agenda to get their message out - without going through traditional media. For activist and agitator Raymond Rivers, that has meant some very extreme posts - making all kinds of outlandish claims and calls. And it caught the attention of the southside commander Chester Williams - who uses facebook to get his own message out, but also to track social media banter that could lead to real world violence. And that's why Rivers caught the southside commander's attention. In one of his more extreme posts, he talks about taking over the airport, swarming the Prime Minister's home, occupying Albert Street, destroying gas stations, and locking down the port. Williams called in Rivers today - who pulled up with a COLA entourage. President Geovanni Brackett said he'd been at a safe house:...
Geovannie Brackett, President - COLA
"This came after allegations of a well-known politician and within one of the city council who he has a confrontation with or some sort of back and forth through Facebook, may have put a hit on him as well and so today we brought him in. He was in a safe house and we brought him in today to meet with Mr. Williams and Mr. Williams has been very professional, in terms of asking what our concern is and also about the concerns about some of the comments by Mr. Rivers. We know that things have been said in the social media that can insight certain things and there is always room for improvement, but we believe also in the freedom of speech."
Jules Vasquez, 7News
"Will you tone down your rhetoric on Facebook?"
Raymond Rivers, Facebook agitator
"Most of the things that I post are about that I repost it. Freedom of speech is freedom of speech. We cannot give that up because anything after that is dictatorship."
Jules Vasquez
"Real talk, you have issued threats on Facebook."
Raymond Rivers, Facebook agitator
"Threat? That ain't no threat. The threat is when they cut off a man's head and deny it. That's the threat."
Reporter
"Do you feel like any of your posts, do you feel responsible that they might insight somebody else to create some kind of violence? Your posts might influence somebody else."
Raymond Rivers, Facebook agitator
"Listen to me, there is nothing in this country that is name is called peaceful revolution, brothers and sisters. I can't tell anyone to jump off a building and I can't tell them to go and do anything, because look at how long we are marching and nobody come and do anything yet. Belizeans will not do anything because we are in a sleep right now and what I am doing is waking up the people that something new and better is in this country."
Jules Vasquez
"Will you take a Facebook hiatus?"
Raymond Rivers, Facebook agitator
"Facebook is my life. That is what jah send here to uplift the people's mind quicker."
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