St. Ignatius Primary School mini-protest

Parents, organizations, the business community and the general public have all taken a stand against crime; protesting and at the same time pleading for peace.  With thirteen minors, including eight year olds Marquise Mahler and Eyannie Nunez, on the list of murder victims for 2010, the schools have also joined the outcry against the senseless killings.   A school parade and rally will be held on Friday, but the younger students from Saint Ignatius Primary School will not be able to participate. But they got their message across today with their own mini protest on the streets surrounding the school. News Five’s Delahnie Bain reports.

Delahnie Bain, Reporting

“No more violence, we want peace!” That was the call of students from Saint Ignatius Primary School this morning. They hit the streets to have their voices heard in protest of the spiraling violence.

minerva balan

Minerva Balan, Infant One Teacher, St. Ignatius primary School

“What we have prepared is a little mini parade with the children; infant one through standard two because tomorrow with the school rally they will not participate because of the distance. So we decided that we should build awareness from the very young.”

There were students as young as four years old in the march, they are all very much aware of the crime situation and the reason for today’s event.

Tishawn Jones, Student, St. Ignatius Primary School

tishawn jones

“I want everybody put down di gun.”

crystal ortiz

Crystal Ortiz, Student, St. Ignatius Primary School

“Marching for peace.”

Quancy Cadle, Student, St. Ignatius Primary School

quancy cadle

“We want no violence.”

Delahnie Bain

“So weh unnu wah for fa?”

Quancy Cadle

“A safer Belize.”

tashawn lozano

Tashawn Lozano, Student, St. Ignatius Primary School

“Dehn got too much killing eena Belize and if we can’t solve it out den all schools got to fight it fi mek ih be wah better place.”

Lincoln Diaz, Student, St. Ignatius Primary School

lincoln diaz

“Lot ah violence and lot ah crime.”

Delahnie Bain

“So weh you want?”

Lincoln Diaz

“Peace.”

Minerva Balan

“I teach infant one so these are four and five year old children and having that discussion with them, it gives me cold seed today to think of all the things these little children are aware of because they start telling you their own stories. You know well, my uncle too got shot or I was there when my cousin got shot and they tell you that they know that it is very sad to have a little girl’s life cut short so drastically. So they are aware and the Belizean public needs to know that these children are aware.”

The mini march was just a preview of a much larger protest by primary schools, which is set for Friday.

Minerva Balan

“All schools will be going on this massive parade and it’s going to culminate with a rally at Memorial Park. All the children from all the schools will parade together and will have a school meeting another school. So it’s like the furthest school on the Southside will meet the second furthest and so one. They’ll come up and then they will meet the north side schools by Swing Bridge, I believe, and then they will continue on their parade.”

Delahnie Bain for News Five.