Monrovia – The Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND) has firmly rejected a recent warning issued by the Ministry of Justice that any protest held without a permit will be deemed illegal.
By Selma Lomax | [email protected]
STAND Chairman Mulbah K. Morlu Jr., in a statement released on May 2, condemned the ministry’s pronouncement as unconstitutional and an attempt to intimidate citizens ahead of the movement’s planned July 17 protest.
Morlu argued that Article 17 of the Liberian Constitution guarantees citizens the right to peaceful assembly without the need for a permit. He described the Justice Ministry’s position as a distortion of the law, asserting that the right to protest is not subject to government approval.
“The Constitution is not optional, nor is it a privilege granted by the state. It is the supreme law of the land, and Article 17 is clear — peaceful assembly does not require a permit,” Morlu stated. He accused the Ministry of trying to transform constitutional rights into state-controlled privileges, which he labeled “legally baseless and constitutionally offensive.”
The STAND Chairman further alleged that the Ministry’s warning is part of a broader pattern of government overreach under President Joseph Boakai’s administration.
He pointed to past incidents, including what he described as misuse of legal institutions and the controversial extradition of a Liberian citizen to Guinea, to support his claim of growing authoritarian tendencies.
Despite the Ministry’s stance, Morlu maintained that the July 17 protest — themed “Enough is Enough” — will proceed as planned. He emphasized that STAND will inform law enforcement about the protest’s logistics, but will not seek permission to exercise a right already guaranteed by the Constitution.
“To seek a permit for what is already guaranteed by law would be to surrender our rights — and that, we shall never do,” Morlu declared.
Calling on grassroots organizations, civil society groups, and the Liberian diaspora to mobilize, Morlu described the upcoming demonstration as a peaceful yet powerful expression of democratic resistance.
“The July 17 protest is irreversible. It will be peaceful, it will be lawful, and it will be historic,” he concluded.
