Monrovia– Prominent constitutional lawyer Cllr. Tiawan S. Gongloe calls on President Joseph Boakai to directly receive a planned protest petition at the Executive Mansion, stressing that peaceful assembly is a constitutional right.
By Jaheim T. Tumu-jaheim.tumu@frontpageafricaonline.com
Gongloe’s statement comes after Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman has warned that protesters gathering for the July 17 demonstration will not be allowed near the Executive Mansion, describing the presidential compound as a “no‑go zone.”
In his podcast on social media, after police placed a barbwire roadblock to the entrances leading to the Executive Mansion ahead of today’s STAND-Led Coalition protest demanding independent investigation into the recent US$19m drugs bust, Gongloe argued that there should be no dispute over the President’s obligation to listen to citizens.
“I call upon President Boakai to receive the protest. There should not be any disagreement on that,” Gongloe said.
He described recent remarks by the Inspector General of Police as unnecessarily confrontational. “In fact, that statement made by the police director, in my view, is provocative,” he noted.
A few days in a podcast, Coleman insisted restrictions were necessary to safeguard public order and protect state institutions.
“Participants are therefore encouraged to remain within the approved routes and designated assembly area while cooperating fully with officers deployed,” Coleman stated.
Coleman explained that the police had completed operational planning and intelligence assessments ahead of the protest, which is expected to draw thousands. He emphasized that officers would be stationed at strategic locations across Monrovia to ensure safety and prevent disruption.
“On Friday, the National Police will deploy all over the city with one objective: to protect life, safeguard property, facilitate the peaceful exercise of constitutional rights, maintain public order, and ensure the safety of every Liberian,” he noted.
Gongloe urged Police IG to protect demonstrators and maintain order, warning that inflammatory rhetoric could escalate tensions.
Drawing on his own history as a protester, Gongloe recalled the April 14, 1979 rice riots, when security forces opened fire on civilians, sparking deadly clashes. He said the violence was triggered by government orders rather than the demonstrators themselves.
“The police director Ronnie Dempster and the Minister of Justice Oliver Bright ordered the police officers to shoot at the protesters. As soon as that happened, everything turned violent,” he recounted.
Gongloe emphasized that peaceful protest has precedent in Liberia’s recent history. He cited the September 24, 2018 “Bring Back Our Billion” demonstration, which was coordinated with civil society leaders and security agencies during the George Weah -administration.
Gongloe praised then‑Justice Minister Musa Dean for convening a meeting that included former Police Inspector General Patrick Sudue, as well as representatives from ECOWAS, the Mano River Union, and the United Nations.
“We sat down in the meeting and agreed that it would be peaceful. So on September 24, when the protesters turned out and carried a petition to the American embassy, the police were giving them water, they were conversing, everything was peaceful,” he explained.
Gongloe insisted that police officers have a constitutional duty to safeguard both protesters and bystanders, guiding demonstrators to their destination without obstruction.
“The right to free expression, the right to assemble, is a constitutional right. And they, as police officers, have an obligation to protect the protesters and the people who will be moving by in the street,” he said.
Gongloe appealed to protest organizers, including Mulbah Morlu, to instruct participants to remain calm and disciplined. He warned that infiltration by provocateurs could undermine the legitimacy of the demonstration.
“I said you should have your own people, marshals, to make sure that the protesters are not violent, because government could infiltrate some people into your protest to make you look bad,” he advised.
He reaffirmed his lifelong commitment to peaceful political engagement, urging both government and citizens to avoid confrontation.
“It is the constitutional right of those people to protest and to speak to their leader. It is the obligation of the police to maintain law and order. It must be done. Not with anger,” Gongloe said, adding, “You may not like me, but I’m a man of peace.”
