Artists Say Government’s Decision Not in Best Interest of Belize

At a press briefing this afternoon, the organizers were asked to comment about naysayers who have taken to social media expressing disapproval about the protest against the Israelis? Artists Gilvano Swasey and Katie Usher say that Belizeans need to react to the constant bad decisions being taken by government that are not in the best interest of the country.

Katie Usher

Katie Numi Usher, Artist

“I am not an anti-Semite. I am for the Israeli people; I am for the Palestinian people, but beyond all things, I am for Belizean people. And every time I watch news, I see people beat up, punch up all kinds of things because GSU deh pan dehn or somebody pull dehn off of them bike. There is no need for any military—be it Israeli or any other—to come train our police. We do not need the militarization of the police. What we need is community policing.”

Gilvano Swasey

Gilvano Swasey, Artist

“Many of us whenever an issue comes up we like to say well it happened so and so and back when; this is live what’s happening in Israel and Palestine. Google it, tweet it, photocopy it, you can see what is happening. But you can look at this right now and realize how it is.  Why would you want someone who has not respected their neighbors, who has had no passion for peace come and train your police in community policing. We have been fighting so long to try to solve this issue between police and the community and now you gonna bring someone with military tactics, with terrorist tactics to train the police. So you think that is going to solve any issue? I don’t think so.  As the same poster said, that they are trained for terrorist tactics so we need them, they are the best. But have we declared a state of emergency that there is terrorist in Belize?”

Yasser Musa

Yasser Musa, Organizer

“We are asking the Belizean people for help. Join us, collaborate with us and there is a work I love that the Cubans have not given up on, solidarity. Let’s do this together. It doesn’t matter if you are a farmer like Gilvano or an artist like Katie, a poet, a teacher like myself. It doesn’t matter what your station is, it is how do you participate in this collaboration, in this solidarity. And I agree with you, that one-seventy something seems like a lot, but it is not because I see on the street people saying how can I sign it, how can I view it so we have to get our act together. And it doesn’t end tomorrow with the protest; it is a new beginning.”