A just cause for the community - but intolerable lawlessness for police. And now, the cops say they can prove that 18 of these people actively participated in that protest. 7News was at their arraignment this morning, and Daniel Ortiz has that story:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
17 persons were arraigned today: 16 Succotz Residents, and 1 from Benque Viejo.

When we arrived, these accused rioters - and all the bystanders at court, for that matter - waited calmly, subdued.

There was no sight of the fire and rage with which the Benque Road was blocked on August 19.

It made for a visually memorable news event, when persons in that 300+ crowd burnt tires all across the Western Highway between Mile 72 and 73.

The press weren't the only ones capturing it on camera; police personnel were also gathering photographic evidence:

Michel Chebat, SC - Attorney for Alleged Rioters
"There was a total of 17 persons arraigned on the charges of rioting and unlawful assembly. The prosecution withdrew 2 against 2 of those persons, so there are only 14 persons who are now facing charges. There are 5 persons who were not served. So, the situation is that 14 persons have been charged with rioting and unlawful assembly today."

ACP Aaron Guzman - Commander, Western Police Zone
"The decision was made that day to take photographs of those persons that were out there acting unlawfully and as a result summons were prepared and summons were served on these persons and that is why they appear in court today. I believe the law says that if more than 5 persons gathered together for a common purpose and riotous behavior and if you note there was blockage of the highway and there were burning of tires. They were stoning at the equipment that was brought in, stoning the firemen, the Ministry of Works and the police, by and large the security forces."

Daniel Ortiz
"But can't it be taken that some persons were just there as bystanders?"

ACP Aaron Guzman - Commander, Western Police Zone
"And that is why we had our police photographers out there and our intelligence folks taking pictures. So the police is of the opinion that certain persons being 20 of those who were summoned that were causing a riot out there."

But, that was 3 months ago, and there is quite a bit of speculation about the delay in bringing criminal prosecution against these select residents.

Mike Rudon, Ch5
"The protest that they are being charged for happened August 19th. It is unusual for charges to be laid so late?"

Michel Chebat, SC - Attorney for Alleged Rioters
"By law they have up to 6 months to bring the charges, but you would think because of the incident and how they perceived it, you would have thought that charges would have been brought a lot earlier."

Nancy Marin - Supporting Succotzenos
"The police are just not prepared, they really didn't do their homework. I think that it was a mandate from government to send a message to our people."

ACP Aaron Guzman - Commander, Western Police Zone
"It's not necessarily a delay Mr. Dubon. It is that the police have 6 months in a matter of this magnitude."

Succotz came out in that illegal protest to demonstrate their frustration and anger at the perception that police were shielding Deputy Police Commissioner Segura from criminal prosecution for his role in that fatal accident. Those in support of direct action say that police shouldn't have pressed this issue today.

Michel Chebat, SC - Attorney for Alleged Rioters
"It is disappointing to see that these people are being victimized. These are poor people who stood up for their rights and they are now being victimized and that is a grave injustice being done."

Geovannie Brackett - President, COLA
"I think that this action here by the government using the police department to send a very loud message to all activists that if you persists in any what they called unlawful gathering that you will be dragged through the courts. This action is a demonic action against the people of Belize. It's a restriction on your freedom of expression."

Daniel Ortiz
"There is still that suggestion from certain quarters that the police department is just sending a signal to anyone who wants to be an activists or anyone who wants to voice an opinion that is opposing to the government - that person, the law can be exercise against them heavily. How do you quell those two issues and try to come....?"

ACP Aaron Guzman - Commander, Western Police Zone
"I will not seek to quell that issue. I don't think the police department should be answer that question. What I can say to you though and I would hope you take the instance of Ms. Yaya Marin Coleman, she has been picketing in Belmopan for quite some time now. She comes in, she applies for her permit and she can picket. Prior to here was the gentleman from the church group and I think it was one month he was out in front of the National Assembly. That is our job, we will try to do our job to the best of our ability."

And what about that suggestion Benque police are being heavy handed simply to make a point?

Geovannie Brackett - President, COLA
"Sometimes emotions get into it and things happen. This just doesn't happen in Belize, but thank God in Belize that politicians don't die and people don't get kill, except for the fact that we had in the last riot in Orange Walk, someone got killed there and I think that we have to take what is happening here today as a very serious action by the government to persecute these people. This is a very serious action that we should not take likely and the government of Belize is using their law in the wrong way to persecute innocent people."

Daniel Ortiz
"Given that illegalities were done with persons gathering and throwing rocks to try to quell that perception that the state is being heavy handed. Did you guys concern that you might have been magnanimous and overlooked heighten emotions that contributed to this and we will just let this one lie, but you did things that were wrong and we just leave it at that."

ACP Aaron Guzman - Commander, Western Police Zone
"Mr. Ortiz, I was there for the entire duration and I believe that myself along with the other senior officers that were out there exercise a tremendous amount of patience and tolerance because you saw that the riot unit were there and there was a time where they were coming on to engage and I told them no, step back because in this present day and age you do not fight fire with fire, so it is that in my opinion and the other officers that were there, these people were gathered illegally - they were told that. As a person, as a community, there are certain rights that you can exercise, but there are certain guidelines that you must go by and that is the position where the police department is at. If it is that you partake in any civil disobedience out there I would hope that people understand that when you partake in civil disobedience, you partake knowing fully well that you can or may be arrested. It could be that you are the one that got away, then that is good for you."

17 of the 20 accused residents were arraigned before Magistrate Herbert Panton for the charges of rioting and unlawful assembly. 3 on the list were not properly served by police with the court summons, and so, they haven't been arraigned as yet. Police will move to track them down, and they should be arraigned at a later date.

Police withdrew the charges against 2 of the defendants, explaining to the court that upon review of their video evidence, these persons were not involved in the riot. One of the two was actually trying to help police to peacefully end the protest.

All of the other defendants who were arraigned today pleaded not guilty to both charges. Magistrate Panton granted them bail of $300, with the condition that they must not participate in any riotous behavior or illegal assemblies while on bail, or it will be confiscated. He also ordered that the trial against these accused persons begin on February 12.