A relevant law passed at the same time in the 1960?s said that if four or more citizens gathered in a discussion which included political matters, this was an illegal gathering.

Our facilitator, Denton Garbutt, informed me Tuesday afternoon that the police had told Miss Echols that she did not require a permit because UEF?s meeting was an indoor meeting. I didn?t know that it made a difference whether indoor or outdoor, but I won?t research or investigate the matter.

I know that 35, 40 years ago we held public meetings at the Courthouse Wharf/Plaza, by the Yarborough Bridge in Queen Charlotte, Pound Yard Bridge, Harlem Square (on Church Street between George and West Streets), corner Craig and Daly Streets, Lovely Lane (near Pink Jungle), the Cinderella Plaza, corner Victoria Street and New Road, and so on.

You had to get a ?drop? from the Belize Electricity Board to hold a public meeting, because you needed electricity for your loudspeaking system. So the BEB would connect a wire (with an outlet) from the nearest lamppost up above. An official of your organization had to apply for the ?drop,? and pay for it, of course.

From February 1969 to the end of 1972, UBAD?s Ismail Shabazz always did the bureaucratic work of applying for the public meeting permit from the police and paying for the ?drop? from BEB. He would also hook up a trailer to his trusty old Willys jeep, named ?Black and Proud?, and transport our ?one-man? rostrum to and from the site of the public meeting.

Meetings would last for three, four hours. The city streets were safe then, so speakers were not limited to any set time. A political public meeting was a happening, and a chance for people to come out of their houses and gather in a communal, neighbourhood setting.

Mr. George Price and I were bitter opponents for most of those UBAD days, but I admired his ability to stand upright and alert for hour after hour at the PUP?s public meetings. Not only that, after standing at attention listening to speakers (sometimes boring ones) for three hours and more, Mr. Price would speak only briefly, fifteen minutes or so. His performances at these public meetings were acts of great patience and discipline.

When UBAD entered a coalition with the Opposition National Independence Party in late 1971 in order to contest the December 1971 Belize City Council election, the campaign was in the doldrums ? almost no campaign finances plus being boycotted by Dean Lindo?s PDM. I suggested to the older folk of the NIP that we hold a public meeting without a permit at the Courthouse. If the police arrested us, it would be news: if they did not arrest us, it would still be news. But of Mr. Goldson?s two deputy leaders, Buntin and Agapito, one had been a senior public officer and one had been a magistrate (in the days of the British). They were horrified by such a proposal of law breaking, and rejected it immediately. (I should mention that none of these two showed up at St. Mary?s Hall the night the coalition candidates were taking a licking.)

These public meetings were tedious and sometimes boring, but they could also be a lot of fun. One time we had an officer by the name of Albert Betson (he went to the States a long, long time ago). We called him ?Betty Boo.? I don?t know where the name came from. He was a really cool and quiet brother with a great big Afro.

Now Shabazz was a very religious guy, a Black Muslim, and usually quite serious. But every time we had a public meeting during the months Betson was an officer, Shabazz and I had a joke between us. Shabazz would come to me when the master of ceremonies was about to introduce Boo to the audience to speak, and say, ?Check him out, no? ?E can?t talk long.?

It would never fail. Boo would get on the rostrum and start out brightly, at least brightly for him. ?Good night, brothers and sisters. We?re here tonight to bring you the message of the UBAD Party, and you know ?? Then after a couple minutes, Boo would say, ?Well, brothers and sisters, that?s all I have to say tonight, and ?? That was the end of that.

I would be bent over laughing while Shabazz would smile mischievously and say, ?Yu si weh a tell you? ?E can?t talk long.?

Hey, Betty, wherever you are, no disrespect. You know we have the love. Those were the days.

Amandala. Power to the people.