Peaceful protest ends in police violence

A school warden and her husband protested in downtown Belize City today. It was over her firing, which she claims was political. Her husband, Charlie Good, has a reputation as a no-nonsense former military head and a CIA operative who has been around the block more than once. Good and his wife, who was fired after three years of service at Trinity Methodist School, took their plight in front of the Supreme Court this morning. This is not Charlie’s first protest, and it landed him at the hospital. But he is not deterred as News Five’s Jose Sanchez found out.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting
On Tuesday’s newscast former school warden, Hirian Good claimed she was fired because she was given a job by former minister of Education, Francis Fonseca. She was armed with documents to show that her work was always exemplary. She had a righteous plea, so this morning along with her ailing husband, the couple held a two person protest at the stairs of the Supreme Court.

Hirian Good, Claims Victimization
“This morning me and my husband decide dat we wah come picket out yah because you know, if you just stay home, nothing will happen. I got four kids going to college. Four ah dehn, I noh buy nothing yet. Fees; one thousand and odd fi each one ah dehn—two dah Pallotti, one dah St. John’s and one dah Wesley. Weh I wah get dehn kind ah money from? So I seh at least I come out yah maybe I could get my job back. But see weh happen. You know di whole time I hear policeman chancey but I seh people mussy just di talk like dat but todeh I believe it. So I believe it now.”

Captain Charles Good, Claims Police Brutality
“How it was done and how it was said. The minister himself and the manager told her this was political. She asked him the reason why. It’s political, he has his people that he wants to put in. your name was up from 2008, the only reason we kept you on because your husband captain Good mi ill.”

In the eyes of one officer, Captain Good did a bad thing by complaining in front of the courts of justice.

Hirian Good
“He tell Charles dat ih noh fi dehn in yah, ih noh business in yah, mek ih go out deh. Charles tell ah ih noh di do nothing wrong, ih just di stand up by di chain. Ih seh you no hear fi move? So Charles seh I just di stand up, I noh di do nothing and look yah out ah nowhere di policeman grab my husband from behind ih neck, shub ah pan top ah di chain. Half ah fi he body end up pan di street and half out yah. Dat noh right, yoh di stand up fi yoh rights. He have served di country. Lot ah dehn policeman weh deh in right now he same one train.”

Captain Charles Good
“Corporal Berry his name is. He came and he grabbed me from here and pushed me. When I went stumbling there was the chain. I got caught up in the chain and I had this placard. Si my hands were tied and I couldn’t you know… and I end up hitting the back of my head. My elbows got messed up and the squeeze on my throat. My wife lost her watch. I lost my medication for the heart you know. I didn’t know exactly what happened after that. I don’t know if passed out and when I realized I saw these other shoes and knees, around me. So then I mi feel so bad you know. I mi get knocked out for a couple seconds I think.”

Captain Charles Good is a military veteran, with plenty stories from the jungles of Belize. Even from a hospital bed, he had pictures and vivid memories of his encounters in the B.D.F., including one with Guatemalan soldiers.

Captain Charles Good
“I joined the special unit in 1969 then I went on to the B.D.F., I went on to the tactical services unit. I even worked with the C.I.A. and the MI6 British Intelligence; for the security and preservation of the territorial integrity of this country. I was assigned to the specific patrols, we had the Guatemalan Saber Rattling poised to invade Belize. This was 75-78 and I was attached to this heavy duty patrol.”

The stories were numerous but it showed that Good will always be a fighting man. His early morning protest was not only him but for others.

Captain Charles Good
“It was our intention this morning to go to the Supreme Court and picket; not picket the Supreme Court itself but to highlight our problem, not only us are having but many other people. And hopefully, if this get solved then those other people’s problems will solve because this is something ongoing and ongoing.”

After three thirty this evening Captain Good was released from the hospital. He and his wife returned to the steps of the Supreme Court to continue their protest against injustice. Reporting fro News Five, Jose Sanchez.

If you would like to help the Good family with a job or offer financial assistance with the school fees for their four children, Hirian can be reached at 623-0844.