A significant dispute over public assembly rights has emerged in Belize after police authorities denied a protest permit to the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB). The union had formally requested authorization to stage a peaceful demonstration outside the Social Security Board’s Belize City office during lunch hours from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM on February 4, 2026—a timing strategically chosen to enable worker participation without requiring absence from employment.
According to NTUCB President Ella Waight, law enforcement officials rejected their application on grounds that the United Democratic Party had already secured permission for the same timeframe. Police authorities reportedly suggested the union select an alternative date for their protest action.
Waight characterized the police response as both disappointing and alarming, detailing what she described as disrespectful treatment during communications with officers. She emphasized that the police department’s suggestion to reschedule fundamentally misunderstands protest rights, asserting that citizens—not authorities—determine when demonstrations occur provided legal procedures are followed.
‘The prerogative to schedule protests doesn’t belong to the police department,’ Waight stated. ‘That’s our right as workers and citizens of this country.’
The union leader expressed deep concern that this incident represents a form of censorship and erosion of democratic freedoms. She warned that denying legally compliant protest opportunities creates dangerous precedents for fundamental rights in Belize’s democracy.
The NTUCB has indicated it will not acquiesce to the permit denial, framing the situation as a critical test of workers’ rights and constitutional freedoms in the Central American nation.