And turning back briefly to the police investigation into the Gang Suppression Unit's treatment of the protesters at the Port of Belize, journalist and sometimes-activist Geovannie Brackett, has made a formal report to investigators on what he heard and saw on Wednesday.
He was among the reporters broadcasting the unsanctioned anti-riot action by the GSU, and since he was embedded with some of the protesters, he had access to information that the police could make use of.
Today, he briefly shared what he told the cops while he was on the Port's compound when the GSU began using force:
Geovanni Brackett - Observed Protest Stand-off
"The uniformed police officers started to form a barrier. At that point, what I know now is that Sr. Superintendent Mr. Daniel Arzu started to have a discussion with Mose Hyde for quite some time to negotiate and reason. In the process of that, what is important is that I clearly heard - I think it was Inspector Reyes - on the phone, calling for the GSU. I clearly heard that instructions to bring in the GSU. So, I ran over to Mr. Senior Superintendent Arzu, [who was] in discussion with Mose Hyde - I think I have that on camera - and I asked him, are you going to bring in the GSU. At that time, he seemed a bit lost about instruction. And he wasn't sure what was going - what was I talking about. Well, while he continued to speak with Mose, that's when the first set of GSU came in. And then, the truck, another set of GSU, probably about 2 more trucks. It was in that process that Mose went on the phone to call the Commissioner of Police, and after he came out, I asked him, Mose, was that the Commissioner of Police. He said yes, and that the Commissioner had said that we will not be removed. We will not be touched or harmed. They sat on the ground. While they sat on the ground, riot gears were brought in, shields. For a while, it calmed down, and I thought that it would have been peaceful at that moment. And what is key to know is that when I went away to get some water, I kinda heard the riot act being read. So, I ran out."
"When I went there and I heard the riot act being read by Senior Superintendent Daniel Arzu, I realized that this is going to go the other way completely."
"I'll be going over to the Raccoon Street to give my statement formally for them to type it out. But, that is the way, and I suspect that they will be speaking to Mose and others as to what actually happened on the ground."
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