Published: July 9, 2025
MONROVIA – Contrary to claims by the Inspector General of the Liberia National Police (LNP) that STAND had not submitted a formal request to stage its planned July 17 protest, the civil society organization has released evidence showing it notified the Ministry of Justice on July 4, 2025.
In a letter dated July 3 and delivered the following day, STAND—short for “Solidarity and Trust for a New Day”—outlined its plans for peaceful assemblies scheduled for July 15 and July 17, including detailed itineraries and legal references backing their action.
During a recent podcast, Inspector General Gregory Coleman said his office had not received a formal application from STAND. However, he assured that police officers would be present to maintain law and order during the demonstration.
STAND, in partnership with “We the People Movement” and several unnamed civil society organizations, is organizing the protest under the theme “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.” The group cited Article 17 of the 1986 Constitution as the legal foundation for its planned assembly, emphasizing its commitment to international human rights protocols and Liberia’s democratic tradition.
“Through this letter, we write to officially inform your office—pursuant to Chapter III, Article 17 of the 1986 Constitution of the Republic of Liberia—of our intention to peacefully assemble in accordance with the law, international human rights protocols, and consistent democratic practice in Liberia’s history,” the group’s communication stated.
Led by former Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) chairman Mulbah K. Morlu, STAND is calling on the Unity Party-led government to uphold the rule of law, ensure justice, and demonstrate transparency and accountability in governance.
The group’s letter detailed two planned civic events. The first, on July 15, includes a memorial parade and a symbolic burial for victims of Liberia’s civil wars. The second, on July 17, is expected to be a nationwide peaceful protest.
According to the letter, “Twenty symbolic caskets—honoring each of Liberia’s fifteen counties, victims of the country’s devastating civil wars, including foreign nationals, the three lives lost in the Kinjor massacre, and all those slain by extrajudicial killings—will be solemnly carried from Broad Street to Palm Grove Cemetery. This sacred procession is more than a march; it is a moment of collective national mourning, a dignified symbolic burial for those denied justice.”
STAND emphasized that the protest will be nonviolent, constitutionally grounded, and designed to give voice to the concerns of thousands of Liberians facing deepening hardship and what the group describes as a decline in democratic governance.
Historical Context and War Victim Reburials
The planned July 15 memorial follows recent efforts by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to honor victims of Liberia’s past conflicts, including symbolic reburials of former Presidents William R. Tolbert and Samuel K. Doe—both of whom died under tragic circumstances.
President Tolbert was assassinated on April 12, 1980, in a military coup that elevated Master Sergeant Samuel K. Doe to power as chairman of the People’s Redemption Council. Doe later transitioned to civilian rule but remained a controversial figure until his violent death in 1990 at the hands of rebel forces led by Prince Y. Johnson of the breakaway Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL).
Johnson, who served as senator for Nimba County until his death in 2024, infamously oversaw Doe’s torture and execution during the first Liberian civil war. President Boakai, who served under both Doe and later as Vice President in the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf administration, has since apologized to families who lost loved ones during the conflict and reaffirmed his commitment to establishing a war crimes court—though concrete steps toward its creation remain pending.
Morlu’s Shift From Politics to Civic Activism
Mulbah Morlu’s transition from partisan politics to civic activism has added a new dimension to the July protest. As chairman of the former ruling CDC government, which governed Liberia from 2018 to 2023 under President George Weah, Morlu was known for his populist rhetoric and support for protesters, notably during the June 7 demonstration where the CDC was credited with providing water and food to participants.
However, the CDC administration faced its own share of governance failures—including high unemployment, a surge in narcotic drug use, and a spate of mysterious and extrajudicial deaths—many of which the current Unity Party-led government has yet to adequately address.
STAND and its allies argue that these unresolved issues are not only lingering but worsening, and that the July 17 protest is a constitutional recourse to demand justice, transparency, and real reform.
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