Weeks of mounting industrial tension at the Port of Belize exploded into anger today when management went ahead and fired 36 employees for redundancy.
That was at 11:00 am - and within 90 minutes, the Port would be convulsed in chaos, with the GSU unleashing tear gas and rubber bullets against peaceful protestors, Stevedores who were protesting the firings.
For the Barrow administration - which has been publicly taking the side of these stevedores - it will be a day of infamy: the day the security forces turned on peaceful protestors with extreme force and prejudice.
7News has been on the story from dawn to dusk, and we've captured all the action and the reactions. We start, where it all started, at 6:30 am with the blocking of the Port's main gate:
At 6:30 this morning, Port workers started arriving at work to find that this bus had been deposited in front of the main gate at the Port of Belize to block the entrance.
Two dozen police officers were dispatched to the Port. And they weren't about to put up with any trouble from this senior stevedore:
Guy Neal, Senior Stevedore
"Just now I wanted to go in the place, the officer assaulted me, pushed me. Look at him to me, I don't want any violence, I am a body builder. Only weapons of destruction could take me down. I called Chester and tell him to do something because the officer doesn't have any PR out here."
Shortly after that, the officer commanding eastern division appeared to take charge of the scene, he consulted with his officers and set out a plan to move the bus. It was fairly rudimentary, a chain plus a flatbed two truck and by 08:15, the bus that had blocked the entrance for 90 minutes was gone simple as that. The 18 wheelers started to roll out and the police took firm and unquestioned charge of the gate, securing it with manpower and firepower.
But little did they know how fragile that firm showing would prove to be within three hours.
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