Caribbean flags removed for 'No to ICJ' flags
The flag monument inside the roundabout by the Save U Plaza is a welcoming landmark at the Philip Goldson Highway entrance to Belize City. The colorful flags of the Caribbean normally fly at the monument.� But about three a.m., someone took down the flags and replaced them with white flags that had a very clear message, which was to vote no to the ICJ. A few hours later, the president of COLA, Giovanni Brackett was at the site raising awareness about his group's campaign against the referendum.
Giovanni Brackett, President, COLA
Giovanni Brackett
"Well today I was called out, a text sent from the left wing of COLA. Said that, the first initiative to commemorate along with the educational committee that the government is launched, that they have launched an activity of its own in support of COLA, and So COLA came out here quite early this morning to see the several about, I think I count about twelve no ICJ flags being raised here at the flag monument. Normally you know you would have different flags out here. COLA gives it hundred and fifty percent support to this initiative. Why? Because shows that we still have patriotism living alive, moving alive in this country and it shows our leaders who are proponents and who are hell bent on going to the ICJ that you have fight coming towards you, you have formidable opponent, somebody who is gonna stand up for this nation. There is no reason we need to go to court to settle what has already been settle at the United Nations. There is no need to give any validity to unfounded claim by Guatemala. We don't need education right now, what we need is doctrination, what Belizeanism is about."
Patrick Jones, Love TV
"What do you hope to achieve by raising these flags here this morning?"
Giovanni Brackett
"Well I guess the group and COLA in support of the activity hope to achieve is that it calls an awareness whenever you ride, as long as it is allowed to be put here, I wasn't a part of that group but as long as it's out here, it creates an awareness of the ICJ and to stir people's interest to ask the question, What is the ICJ about? What is Belize risking? What are we going to lose?"
When Brackett was asked whether or not COLA was responsible for this action, he simply said that COLA gives one hundred and fifty percent support and noted that his answer may not be satisfactory to the media, but asked that the press uses its imagination.
Channel 5