The Vanguard Student Unification Party (SUP) has declared April 14, 2025, as a day of nationwide action to demand justice for students and citizens who were brutally assaulted during the July 26, 2022, protest. The party’s Chairman, Sylvester Wheeler, announced during a press conference on Tuesday, April 8, vowing that SUP will no longer remain passive while victims of state violence are ignored.
Wheeler said the mobilization will commemorate the 46th anniversary of the April 14, 1979, massacre, when the Tolbert regime unleashed deadly force on protesting students and workers. According to him, the upcoming protest is not only a tribute to the slain of 1979 but also a demand for accountability in today’s Liberia, where justice for the 2022 violence remains elusive.
“The criminals who were involved in these atrocities are still walking free, and the government continues to ignore our calls for justice,” Wheeler declared. “We will commemorate April 14 with an action that demands justice for all victims of state violence, particularly the students brutalized on July 26, 2022.”
SUP accused the current administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai of gross inaction, saying it has failed to prosecute those responsible for the violent crackdown in 2022. The student movement also warned that if the government does not act, it will initiate citizen arrests to bring perpetrators to justice.
“If the government continues to find it difficult to bring these criminals to justice, SUP will not hesitate to institute citizen arrests,” Wheeler warned. “We will ensure that all those involved in the brutalization of peaceful protesters face consequences for their actions.”
The party also launched a scathing critique of President Boakai’s leadership, describing his administration as the worst in Liberia’s history. Wheeler said the government has failed to address pressing issues like poverty, unemployment, and the crumbling health system, while the suffering of ordinary Liberians continues to deepen.
“Under Boakai’s regime, the Liberian people are suffering,” Wheeler said. “Our health system is in shambles, our economy is failing, and yet the president’s actions continue to undermine efforts to create a better future.”
SUP cited Liberia’s recent classification as the eighth poorest country in the world by the Global Finance Index as evidence of economic decline under Boakai. The party also condemned the rapid depreciation of the Liberian dollar and soaring inflation, claiming that basic goods and services are increasingly unaffordable for most citizens.
“The young people are still jobless, the roads are still deplorable, and inflation is skyrocketing,” Wheeler stated. “Our people are suffering, while Boakai enjoys the luxuries of life.”
The party did not spare University of Liberia President Dr. Layli Maparyan, criticizing her for what it termed “reckless and out of touch” remarks regarding SUP’s stance on the Liberia Football Association. Wheeler accused her of attempting to silence student dissent and aligning with the Boakai administration against student interests.
“Maparyan failed to speak out when Boakai’s police invaded the campus with guns and tear gas,” Wheeler noted. “Now she wants to lecture us about being civil? We cannot stand for this kind of hypocrisy.”
SUP reaffirmed its commitment to ideological resistance, civil disobedience, and radical engagement as necessary tools for social transformation in Liberia. Wheeler said the student movement will not compromise the interests of the Liberian people and vowed to persist in the face of government intimidation and repression.
