Thirty-six years ago, the United Black Association for Development (UBAD) celebrated African Liberation Day on May 25, 1972. Of course the celebration did not end there, because UBAD extended its celebration to climax on May 29, in honoring our ancestors of 1773 who fought the slavemasters with their machetes and slew six of them.
On May 29, 1972, UBAD organized a demonstration through the streets of Belize (City). Starting at the Court House Wharf (Plaza), we paraded into Queen Street, Gaol Lane, Eve Street, Craig Street, into Barrack Road, into Victoria Street, into North Front Street, across the Belize City Swing Bridge into Albert Street. The permit gave us permission to travel into Regent Street passing the former Governor’s residence and back to the Court House Plaza.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the demonstration broke out into a riot in Belize City. Among the demands of the demonstration were (i) the vote for 18-year-olds; (ii) free Radio Belize; (iii) teaching of African and Mayan history; (iv) destroying the Guatemalan claim to Belize. There was a large map of Guatemala with Belize as part of Guatemala at the Guatemalan Consulate, which was situated right upstairs of the Romac’s building on Albert Street, where the recent fire was.
The riot started suddenly when some members of the demonstration started to stone the Guatemalan Consulate. It is interesting to note that with the many policemen that were present, the UBADers ruled the streets for a while until the riot squad came and began throwing tear gas across the city. Even the people in the Palace Theatre were trampling each other due to the tear gas inside the theatre.
That night there were about one dozen UBADers arrested, including myself. That night we all spent in the piss house. The following day on May 30, we were taken to court. Bail was refused. The prosecutor asked the court to lock us down for one week because we were considered dangerous.
While we were at Her Majesty’s Prison, the following morning on May 31, there were further arrests. There was great effort made to jail the leaders of UBAD. Our president, Evan X, had to go underground until everything cooled off.
There were some highlights inside the prison. I found myself in the prison cell where our brother, Edward Rodney, had broken out some months earlier. Many of the other brothers were placed two and three persons in one cell. There was a brother called Mandingo Gabourel, who had an infected tooth and was lying on the floor. I offered the prison authority my bed for the brother, and they refused.
Then came the time to make some demands. I demanded that my food be pork free and that my food come from my home. I requested that I have the Amandala newspaper for my reading pleasure instead of The Belize Times, which was the only newspaper allowed in the prison. My requests were granted.
As I look back at the rules of the prison, I realized how stupid some of these rules were. When we were put in our cells, we were stripped of any kind of weapon. But in the evenings, there was a duty for an officer going to each cell to give a light for a cigarette. You be the judge. Then there was the humiliation every morning where we had the “bucket bridge.” This is the brigade where you march with your night soil through the Public Works Department where the Central Bank of Belize is presently situated.
The experience I had was a learning one, which I enjoyed for a week. I have learned that so-called democracy is hypocrisy well dressed up, meaning that “you do as I say but not as I do.”
Brothers and sisters, I hope this article will stimulate your consciousness, so that you may always remember those who have left us in the struggle. We salute them in this week of African Liberation May 25–29, 2008.
And remember he who comes to destroy the House of Amandala, himself shall be destroyed. Amandala! Poder al pueblo! Ubafu houn gereigia! Al-Quwa-Li-Nas! Power to the people!