Monrovia, Liberia – Thousands of Liberians took to the streets of Monrovia on Thursday in a powerful show of unity and resolve, answering the call of STAND Chairman Mulbah Morlu and other political and civil society groups of the “Enough is Enough” protest.
The peaceful mass action, aimed at demanding justice, respect for the rule of law, and sweeping political and economic reforms, effectively brought some parts of Monrovia to a standstill. Protesters gathered in numbers, brandishing placards and chanting slogans as they marched to the capitol building.
In a Facebook post minutes after the protest, Mulbah Morlu, STAND Chairman praised participants for their bravery and discipline.
“Thank you to the courageous citizens of our beloved Liberia who stood up today for justice, the rule of law, and real change,” Morlu said. “You made history ~ and you did so peacefully and with dignity. Your voices echoed across the nation. This is only the beginning. The fight for a better Liberia has just begun.”
The STAND chairman extended gratitude to both local and international supporters of the movement, including members of the Liberian diaspora, for their commitment to what he described as the “struggle for real change.”
Morlu issued a strong message to President Joseph Boakai, giving the administration a 14-day ultimatum to respond to and begin implementing the demands of the people.
“President Boakai now has 14 days to acknowledge and begin implementing the people’s demands. Failure to do so will trigger a second, nationwide protest—far stronger, louder, and with even tougher demands,” he warned. “The people will not be silenced nor ignored.”
Describing the turnout as unprecedented, Morlu declared, “The entire Monrovia was truly locked down today.”
Organizers of the ‘Enough is Enough’ named: Injustices, disregard of rule of law, unemployment, brutality of peaceful citizens by police, illegal removal of tenure-protected officials among others as major reasons that prompted their protest.
The petition which was to be received by Lofa County Senator Momo Cyrus turned a bit chaotic that resulted to a major wound of two security personnel. The petition was later received by legislative security to be sent to the legislature.
As of press time, the government of Liberia has not officially responded to the ‘Enough is Enough’ protest.
As the nation watches closely, the coming days will determine how the government responds—and whether a second wave of protests will follow.
