By Bill W. Cooper
In a shocking turn of events, the highly anticipated anti-corruption rally, organized by the Liberian People’s Party (LPP), was abruptly disrupted by some unknown individuals, casting a shadow over the country’s upcoming October 10, 2023 elections.
The incident, according to our reporter, has also sparked accusations from the rally’s planners, led by their political leader, who are pointing fingers at the government for orchestrating the disruption.
The LPP anti-corruption rally, tagged “Broom Parade against Corruption”, comes days after a mass rally dubbed “Weah Thank You”, organized by the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) in Monrovia.
The anti-corruption rally, which was aimed to bring government’s attention to the pervasive issue of corruption in Liberia, was scheduled to take place on Ashmun Street in Monrovia.
During the early hours of Wednesday, July 19, 2023, supporters of the LPP and citizens from various walks of life had gathered in large numbers, hoping to voice their concerns and demand accountability from the government, but were met by stiff resistance from supporters, believed to be of the CDC government.
Additionally, as the rally got started, chaos erupted when a group of unidentified individuals carrying sticks, stormed the gathering and began to throw stones at the protesters.
As a result of the chaotic situation, panic spread through the crowd as people sought safety, resulting into injuries of protesters, as well as damaging of some business personnel commodities.
The LPP, which is one of the country’s major opposition parties, headed by Tiawan Gongloe, quickly condemned the violence and accused the government of orchestrating the disruption to suppress their campaign against corruption.
The LLP anti-corruption rally Chairperson, Jessica Angel Morris, stated, “This is a clear attempt by the government to silence our voices and undermine our efforts to combat corruption. We will not be intimidated, and we demand a thorough investigation into this incident.”
Ms. Jessica also called on the government, through the Ministry of Justice, to launch an immediate investigation, so as to bring to book and prosecute all those involved in the disturbance of their planned rally.
Meanwhile, in response to the violence at his party headquarters in Monrovia, the LPP political leader, Tiawan Gongloe, flanked by his vice running mate, Emmanuel Yarkpawolo, condemned the violence in the strongest terms, and called for an immediate investigation into the matter on grounds that Liberia is a democratic nation, and as such, the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression should be protected at all times.
The LPP leader also stated, “And for that reason, I hold the government responsible because the government failed to protect and provide us with security even though we informed them earlier about our planed rally.”
“And more to that, we also paid them US$600, of which we have receipt to that effect, for the spot of we were to use to present our message. So, I blame the government for this intrusion and I call on President Weah to investigate and prosecute all those involved,” he stressed.
Also reading his prepared statement, Mr. Gongloe called on all Liberians to unite and vote out President George M. Weah and his government officials for their poor handling and mismanagement of the country’s resources since they came to power.
According to him, government is a place to serve, not to steal, and with no corruption, a better Liberia is possible, noting that the time for stealing is over and as such, it is time to vote a new breed of leaders who will put Liberia first.
He added that “The most affected part of the country when it comes to bad roads are Southeastern Liberia and Lofa County, because the government has failed to put in place a mechanism for road maintenance. The economy is deplorable due to corruption and this will only stop if we vote CDC out of power.”
