Who Set Tires on Fire on BelCan Bridge?

This evening, a scene eerily reminiscent of the worst of the 2005 riots greeted rush hour drivers. Perhaps the most important traffic route in all of Belize City, the BelCan Bridge linking San Cas Plaza and the Philip Goldson Highway with Central American Boulevard, was blocked by a series of tires set on fire. It coincided with the end of the Belize National Teachers’ Union’s Belize branch rally at the union headquarters located behind our studios. Immediately, the Union disavowed involvement in any time of violence. The Fire Service, located on Cleghorn Street, responded almost immediately and put out the fire, while Eastern Division North police detained two men for questioning. One of them has been identified as Perry “Sticks” Smith, the founder of the Days of Healing organization. But according to President of Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action, Geovannie Brackett, both men were accounted for up to the time of the incident.

Geovannie Brackett

Geovannie Brackett, President, COLA

“What happen is that like every viewership we came out here, and we saw the bridge blocked. So we like any other person standing by, we were entertained by it. So we were watching it – then the police will arrest two of our people dehm. And Sticks was all day with those guys over at the Teachers’ Union. So we have an alibi. This is complete injustice.”

Reporter

“So who’s the guy that they took?”

Geovannie Brackett

“They took Sticks – you know Sticks from Days of Healing. And they took “Big Jun”, from our group C.O.L.A. and from Go-Off Sounds. This is complete chance.”