A Fractured U.D.P. Set to Protest in Belize City

Despite the internal turmoil, the United Democratic Party is planning a protest for Tuesday in Belize City. On Thursday of last week, Assistant Commissioner of Police Howell Gillett, the Regional Commander for Eastern Division, denied the U.D.P. Chairman’s application to conduct a protest. Still, Peyrefitte told reporters today that the party will be out in front of a gas station in the Old Capital, protesting.

Michael Peyrefitte

Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, U.D.P.

“That is (bleep). So, we are going to have to find a way to send a message without breaking the law, and still do it in the form of a protest that cannot be one that would technically require permission from the police. There are many legal ways to protest, quite frankly, without the need for permission and that is what we will attempt to do. We can walk and chew gum. We can fix our own internal issues and at the same time function as He Majesty’s Opposition. So, that is what we are doing. We have been getting calls to send a message by way of a protest to indicate that the population is not happy with the People’s United Party, their broken promises and the fact that dah nuh everybody the win. We choose to protest in front of a gas station, partly you have to admit, for the irony and the optics of it. We are talking about so many months, days, weeks, that the price of fuel on the world market has been falling, and yet we cannot get a lower price on fuel when that is something that in many ways literally supplies the economy. The Minister of Finance’s family is heavily invested in gas stations. They are the only ones making the money. The people are not getting a break. The Minister of finance has a choice to reduce the excise tax on fuel. We want to demonstrate because that is a pertinent issue. We want to demonstrate that that gas station represents, along with the high cost of fuel, the high cost of living for people in this country. Those are just a few of two of the myriad of things we are protesting against. I think we need to add to our list, that we are protesting the fact we can’t even get permission to do a legitimate protest.”