Older, Wiser Faber Defends Actions in 2005

One of the indelible memories of protests that gripped Belize between January and May of 2005 came on April twenty-eighth, when then first-time area representative and vice-principal of Anglican Cathedral College, Patrick Faber, challenged police in order to enter a public forum being hosted by the then Prime Minister Said Musa at the University of Belize. He wound up being restrained from entering and dragged on the ground. Later he was charged – but ultimately acquitted – on criminal charges of aggravated assault of a police officer. He subsequently lost a civil case alleging violations of his constitutional rights. The incident has been brought up by the Belize National Teachers’ Union and others to justify their own actions against the current administration of which Faber is a central part. Today the Minister of Education took us down memory lane. But he said there are critical differences between today and back then.

Patrick Faber

Patrick Faber, Area Rep., Collet Division [File: April 28^th, 2005]

“This is a public institution. Si di flyer yah people; public forum inviting the people of this country to come out to a public forum. They have stopped the people of this country from coming in just to protect Prime Minister Musa. What is your reasoning for noh want me as a member of the National Assembly… I neva come inna dah crowd, I get in my vehicle and I drove here from Belize City.”

[Police chasing Faber…]

Patrick Faber

Patrick Faber, Minister of Education

“Let me be clear….one I was not on any strike back then. I was not a part of any demonstration with teachers when that happened. I was a responsible administrator and had gone to school the morning, made sure everything is okay and made my way to Belmopan independent of any of that in the afternoon. But secondly, that was in a time when no increase was given and increments were frozen. Now how do you compare that to a time when the government has given two tranches of a promised salary increase, approved the third one and is merely saying we want to ask you to be a bit lenient because of the hurricane? And despite the fact that the experts, internationally, are saying to us your wage bill is way too high, we will not cut that increase. In fact, we will even pay eight million dollars or so in increments that are due. How do you compare that to what was happening in 2005? There is no comparison, except if it is convenient for you to say…”Yah Faber mi di strike.” Or “Yah it was the same set of circumstances.” It is not.”