Police on Monday deployed riot officers throughout Monrovia in response to a series of planned protests across the city. Monrovia, the Liberian capital, hosts about 1.5 million people.
Recently, there have been reports of planned protests by various groups, including disgruntled former agents of the Executive Protection Service, the elite presidential guard that provides security to VIPs such as the President and Vice President.
Tensions rose at the national headquarters of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) as anti-riot police clashed with party members. The CDC supporters were upset by the presence of police outside their headquarters, interpreting it as a form of intimidation. Some members were captured on live video using derogatory language against President Boakai.
The deployment of riot police at the CDC headquarters by the Liberia National Police (LNP) brought back painful memories of the tragic events of November 7, 2011, where CDC members were wounded and killed, according to the party’s secretary general, Jefferson Tamba Koijee.
Late on Sunday evening, Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman announced that Liberia was on the brink of experiencing a series of demonstrations in various parts of the country. He did not specify the groups organizing the protests or their reasons, but emphasized that the police force would be prepared to protect both the protesters and the public.
“There are a series of planned protests in different areas. Our role is to protect the protesters and the Liberian people. The peace we have today was earned by the sweat and blood of many Liberians, and preserving it is paramount to us. We will not allow it to be disrupted in any way, shape, or form. Order and dignity will be restored in this nation,” said Inspector General Coleman on Sunday evening.
Coleman added, “We have been reliably informed that among some of those who are planning to peacefully protest, there are people with nefarious intent wanting to destabilize the peace and we have sufficient information about the possibility that some of them are carrying lethal weapons. So, we are warning the public to please try to avoid these gatherings when you see them, and the police will provide the needed protection”
On Monday, the LNP deployed riot police close to the Headquarters of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) in anticipation of planned protests across Monrovia. The police did not give any reason for their deployment at the headquarters of the main opposition political party.
The deployment of the national police near the national headquarters of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change raised tensions between the anti-riot police and party members. The acting party Chairman, Janga Kowo, was at the party headquarters and was able to talk to supporters to restore calm before the arrival of Koijee.
After some time, Koijee spoke with journalists, expressing his outrage against the police’s actions and added that it reminded him and other party members of the infamous November 7, 2011.
“Today, our party headquarters was besieged by Mr. Boakai and his police forces. We witnessed the invasion of the police on the premises of the Congress for Democratic Change. I can remember on 2011, November 7, on Bloody Monday, it gives us a sharp reminder and every CDCian will know when the police were in similar form, similar attire, similar position and it led to the death of scores of Liberians,” Koijee said.
former Elite officers planned Protest
It was reported over the weekend that agents of the Executive Protection Service (EPS), who were dismissed when the Joseph Nyuma Boakai administration came to power, were expected to protest on Monday under the caption “Kill one, Kill All”. However, Nathaniel O. Beh Jr., the spokesman of the dismissed Executive Protection Service agents, denied the speculation about the dismissed EPS agents staging a protest under the theme “kill one, kill all” as false and misleading.
“We did not give a specific date that we will be going for the protest. I don’t call it a protest because we are elite forces, we belong to no party, we are state security, all we want is our just benefit,” Beh said.
