Threats of criminal charges aren't holding the BNTU back - this morning, the Orange Walk members took to the highway, where they were experiencing even more "mechanical failures" with their vehicles. They parked across the road in Carmelita village and blocked traffic on the Phillip Goldson for about 20 minutes.
The police were there, but there was no rough stuff. Still, yesterday, the PSU president called out the Commissioner of Police for what he calls "weaponizing" the department against the teachers.
Courtney Menzies has this story.
These Orange Walk teachers are continuing the protests that started across the country on Wednesday. This morning at 5:00, they blocked the highway at the Carmelita speed bump, causing a long queue of traffic to form during prime commuting hours. Buses and vehicles heading to work and school were blocked for 20 minutes as the teachers sang the national anthem with the hoods of their vehicles up.
After the protest, these teachers left without conflict with police. And unlike the Dangriga teachers, they weren't made to face charges. However, yesterday, the president of the PSU stood up for his sister union and called out the commissioner of police trying to intimidate the BNTU.
Dean Flower, President, PSU
"We would have never thought that in an effort to demonstrate how effective he could be that the new commissioner would resort to weaponizing the police department against teachers. But personally, it is now dawning on me that we should not be surprised because this is the very commissioner who in his very first week of office attempted to violate the constitutional right of citizens by pleading, by begging for an SOE for 6 months to a year, demonstrating his incompetence. Today demonstrates that he is nothing but a political puppet."
And Flowers added that these charges are a slippery slope that can be utilized against other sectors.
Dean Flower, President, PSU
"The teachers are today, it may very well be the nurses of KHMH tomorrow. Then what? What is the taxi men decide to join us? It will be the taxi men too. The teachers came out yesterday to demand what is rightfully theirs and in response commissioner of police Rosado, this is his best response. I'm really ashamed of this guy. I think that he now sets himself up to be amongst the worse."
Since yesterday's meeting between the BNTU president and the ComPol, the charges against the Dangriga members have since been dropped.
Tonight, there are unconfirmed reports that police are in discussions with the unions to drop charges brought against the Dangriga teachers. We asked the commissioner of police about that and he gave us a very vague quote, saying, "dialogue at its core enables the exchange of perspectives and fosters understanding."
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