Police Deny NTUCB Permit to Protest at SSB, Unions Plan to Demonstrate Anyway

The Belize Police Department has denied the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) permission to stage a protest tomorrow at the headquarters of the Social Security Board in Belize City.  According to NTUCB President Ella Waight, she visited the Raccoon Street Police Station yesterday at around 1:30 p.m. to formally submit a letter requesting a permit for the planned demonstration. Waight says she was informed by police that a permit would not be granted to the unions, as the United Democratic Party had already secured approval to protest at the same location.  Waight further claims she was advised to join forces with the UDP, similar to what police suggested had occurred during a previous protest. However, speaking with Love News, the union president rejected that characterization, clarifying that the unions did not team up with the opposition during the last demonstration.  She explained that the NTUCB specifically applied for a permit to protest during the lunch hour, in an effort to allow union members to participate without disrupting their workday. That proposed timeframe would have clashed with the UDP’s approved protest window, which runs from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.  Despite the denial of a permit, Love News understands that union members still intend to demonstrate tomorrow outside the SSB offices on Princess Margaret Drive.  Love News will be on the ground and will provide coverage of tomorrow’s developments.