A Warning to the Boakai Administration: The Right to Protest Is Sacred and Constitutional

The Editor,

The recent threats, intimidations, and acts of suppression directed at peaceful citizens, interest groups, movements, pressure groups, and members of the Opposition ahead of the July 17, 2025 nationwide protest are alarming, unconstitutional, and a direct affront to the democratic spirit of Liberia.

Let it be known, loud and clear, that Article 17 of the Liberian Constitution is not a suggestion—it is the supreme law of the land. It unequivocally states:

“All persons, at all times, in an orderly and peaceable manner, shall have the right to assemble and consult upon the common good, to instruct their representatives, to petition the Government or other functionaries for the redress of grievances and to associate fully with others or refuse to associate in political parties, trade unions, and other organizations.”

This is not merely legal language—it is a moral mandate and a democratic shield that protects the people against tyranny.

The Boakai government must be reminded that constitutional rights do not bend to the will of authoritarian power. No government, no matter how intoxicated by power, has the authority to trample on the sacred right of citizens to peaceably assemble and demand accountability.

The use of state machinery to silence dissent—whether through arbitrary arrests, violence, threats, or propaganda—is not only unjust, it is historically dangerous. Liberia’s history is marred by the tragic consequences of regimes that disrespected the rights and voices of the people. Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.

Mr. Boakai, you were not elected to reign—you were elected to serve. And if the people now choose to protest against misrule, corruption, incompetence, or repression, they are within their rights, and no force can morally or legally deny them that freedom.

Let this serve as a final and peaceful warning:

• Any harm to peaceful protestors will be documented, condemned, and remembered.

• Any action taken to suppress the July 17 protest will be an act against the Constitution and against the will of the people.

• Continued abuse of power and denial of basic freedoms will provoke not silence, but stronger resistance, at home and abroad.

The world is watching. The Liberian people are awakening. And no amount of brutality can stop a nation determined to reclaim its dignity.

Honor the Constitution. Respect the people. Allow the protest.

If the Boakai administration fails to heed this warning, it will go down in history not only as authoritarian and corrupt—but as the government that stood in opposition to the very soul of Liberian democracy.

Jacbo Doe