STAND criticized what it described as veiled threats from the police chief, including claims that protesters may be planning to carry weapons or engage in illegal activity.
Monrovia – The Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND), one of Liberia’s most prominent civil society movements, has condemned statements made by Inspector General of Police Gregory Coleman, calling them “dangerous, dishonest, and politically motivated.”
By Selma Lomax [email protected]
The condemnation comes amid rising national attention ahead of STAND’s July 17 “Enough is Enough” protest, which organizers say will challenge systemic corruption, impunity, and declining governance under the Joseph Boakai administration.
During a press briefing, Inspector General Coleman warned that protest planners had not informed the Ministry of Justice or law enforcement of their intentions, suggesting a lack of coordination could threaten public safety. He also cautioned that protest organizers needed to obtain a permit.
“As we draw closer to the July 17 protest date, today makes it ten days from that date,” Coleman said. “We have asked that planners engage with the Ministry of Justice to get a permit and inform law enforcement as to the route they intend to take, so that we can provide the adequate protection. Up to date, we haven’t seen any such engagement. However, we want to reaffirm our commitment to the democratic process that we will provide the adequate protection necessary and we will do whatever we can to ease the burden of those who will not be a part of the protest.”
STAND immediately pushed back, denouncing Coleman’s remarks as false and part of an orchestrated campaign to suppress the protest. The group insists that no permit is required under Liberian law, and that notification — not authorization — is the constitutional standard for public protest.
“Inspector General Coleman’s assertion that protest organizers failed to notify the Ministry of Justice is a deliberate lie,” said Mulbah K. Morlu, Jr., National Chairperson of STAND and lead organizer of the July 17 protest.
“On July 4, 2025, STAND formally submitted written notice to the Ministry of Justice in full compliance with Article 17 of the Liberian Constitution. That communication was also distributed to national media outlets to ensure transparency. Coleman’s false claim exposes a pattern of dishonesty and bad faith and raises serious concerns about his fitness to lead the Liberia National Police. Rather than serving the Liberian people, he is now functioning as a political enforcer, weaponizing state power to undermine a constitutionally protected civic movement.”
STAND criticized what it described as veiled threats from the police chief, including claims that protesters may be planning to carry weapons or engage in illegal activity. Coleman’s warnings, the group said, were designed to spread fear and justify potential crackdowns.
“These inflammatory statements, disguised as security concerns, are nothing less than an attempt to criminalize peaceful dissent, stoke fear, and justify potential state-sponsored violence against law-abiding citizens,” said Morlu. “STAND categorically rejects these fabrications and warns that any effort to disrupt, delegitimize, or provoke violence against this peaceful protest will be met with firm, lawful, and unyielding resistance by the Liberian people.”
According to STAND, there are growing concerns of a coordinated campaign involving rogue elements of the security sector. The movement alleges that it has received credible reports of plans to plant drugs, hire agents provocateurs, and even deploy individuals disguised as protesters to cause disruption. The group claims such acts are aimed at creating chaos and manufacturing a pretext for state violence.
“These are not mere rumors,” said Morlu. “These are credible threats to civil liberties and democratic order in Liberia.”
The organization also warned the Liberia National Police and any political operatives against any attempts to sabotage or infiltrate the protest. STAND has vowed that any individual caught engaging in illegal acts against peaceful demonstrators, regardless of rank, may be subject to lawful citizens’ arrest.
“STAND issues a clear and unequivocal warning that if any government official, security operative, or political agent attempts to infiltrate the protest, plant evidence, or stage acts of sabotage, STAND and its nationwide citizens’ network reserve the constitutional right to execute a lawful citizen’s arrest,” the statement noted.
“This applies to any individual —regardless of rank — who commits a crime against peaceful protesters. Police Director Gregory Coleman will not be exempt if he crosses that line.”
The movement reaffirmed that the July 17 protest will go ahead as planned. “This protest is not a request—it is a righteous uprising against corruption, impunity, and the systematic collapse of constitutional governance under President Joseph Boakai,” said Morlu. “We are not asking permission to be free. We are exercising our right to resist.”
In anticipation of calls for dialogue or negotiation, STAND made its position clear that it will not be swayed by offers that compromise its core principles or diminish the protest’s goals.
“To those entertaining the illusion of compromised negotiations or backdoor deals, let us be clear that we will never trade away our constitutional rights, nor will we kneel before repression,” Morlu declared. “We will not pause. We will not retreat. And we will not be silenced—not while this regime continues to violate the law and abuse the people it swore to serve.”
As the protest date draws near, organizers say the demonstration is shaping up to be one of the largest post-war civic actions in the country’s recent history. “We protest because we must—to defend our democracy, restore our dignity, and secure the future of a free and sovereign Liberia,” STAND said in closing. “Enough is enough.”
