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Sep 23, 2009

Protesting couple warned, then Charlie Good Arrested

Story PictureCharlie Good and his wife embarked on a protest on August eighteen over the political firing of Misses Good. In the past month, through rain and shine and at night they stood steadfast. They were promised jobs by the head of government but turned it down because they considered it menial. Their protest started in front of the Supreme Court from where today they were removed by the law. Jose Sanchez has an update of this story of the Goods.

While the country celebrated carnival and Independence Day, Charles and Hirian Good returned to the steps of the Supreme Court to continue their peaceful protest. But after almost a month, they have been told they have to move from that public location.

Captain Charles Good Retired, Protestor
“Independence day, the twenty-first we came out here and following our arrival, the security supervisor told us that upon instructions from the Registrar, Mister Penner, that’s his office over there, that we will no longer be allowed to continue our protest here. I went over to his office, knocked on the window and he confirmed it. And said yes, you are hereby warned and no longer you will both be allowed to protest.”

But the veteran B.D.F. soldier who trounced the jungles of Belize with members of MI6 was not ready to raise his white flag. He came back today with no intentions of backing down.

Captain Charles Good Retired
“This is no longer a mission for me, a quest, or a cause, this matter has been converted to a call for me and whatever it takes even if it means my life.”

Jose Sanchez
“Your husband is a diabetic, he’s putting his life at risk, do you think there is a point this should all come to an end. Where you should just say maybe it’s time to give up?”

Hirian Good, protestor
“Well, like weh my husband seh, we noh di stop do this because dah justice we now want because it’s not right weh they do with me. I was doing my best, doing the extra mile and they dismiss me from my work. So, we deh yah now fi we rights. I no know why they wah move we from yah. We noh di do nothing wrong, all weh we deh di do we di stand up fi we rights and other people weh they dismiss.”

Jose Sanchez
“But the question is your husband’s health, he doesn’t eat, he’s a diabetic, he’s putting his life at risk, you have four kids in high school. Do you think at some point maybe you should say it’s not worth the risk?”

Hirian Good
“No, I no think he should stop. He di do this fi wah reason and we wah continue to protest.”

Captain Charles Good Retired
“We have sat down, we’ve spoke about this. We even sat with children from time to time and enlighten them as to what we are doing. And we are not only doing this for ourselves. I am not Jesus, she is not the Virgin Mary so to speak. But what we are doing here is that these things have been happening and happening and people take it for granted. The buck has to stop somewhere.”

And the buck did stop today. After midday officers came to remove the Goods, and instead of going peacefully, they both lied on the ground waiting to be removed. But because our cameras were there they were left alone. Later in the afternoon the former lawman was arrested and hauled off in the back of a police mobile patrol. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.


Viewers please note: This Internet newscast is a verbatim transcript of our evening television newscast. Where speakers use Kriol, we attempt to faithfully reproduce the quotes using a standard spelling system.

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