MONROVIA – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has pushed back against criticism from protesters who flooded the streets of Monrovia on July 17 under the banner “Enough is Enough.” Speaking at the launch of the Liberia AI Challenge 2025 at the EJS Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, Boakai dismissed the protesters’ message, saying, “I see protesters on their placards saying, ‘Boakai can’t lie.’ But let me tell them that they can lie, and we are moving this country forward.”
The protest, organized by the advocacy group STAND in collaboration with the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), brought thousands into the streets demanding accountability, justice, and sweeping governance reforms. Protesters called on President Boakai to respond to their demands within 14 days or face a second, larger nationwide demonstration.
Following the event, STAND National Chairman Mulbah Morlu issued a statement thanking Liberians for what he described as a historic and peaceful turnout. “Thank you to the courageous citizens of our beloved Liberia who stood up today for justice, the rule of law, and real change. You made history, and you did so peacefully and with dignity. Your voices echoed across the nation,” Morlu wrote.
He noted that the protest marked only the beginning of a broader push for systemic change and warned the Boakai administration that failure to act would trigger more widespread action. “President Boakai now has 14 days to acknowledge and begin implementing the people’s demands. Failure to do so will trigger a second, nationwide protest, far stronger, louder, and with even tougher demands. The people will not be silenced nor ignored.”
Morlu emphasized earlier that the only official acceptable to receive the petition was President Boakai himself. The protest virtually shut down central Monrovia as demonstrators occupied major intersections, carrying placards and chanting slogans demanding better governance.
Online reactions from political figures and activists quickly followed. Isaac W. Jackson wrote, “Boakai is a BUSTED FLUSH! He’s in hiding. The People are ready – ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.” Activist Wantoe Teah Wantoe commented, “The crowd is growing. People are rising to demand better. The protest is ongoing, and more voices are joining by the minute.”
Togar Alexander Bealded mocked Unity Party supporters while Representative Yekeh Kolubah praised the commitment of the youth, pointing out that the demonstration was largely driven by ordinary Liberians rather than prominent political figures. “The people are still outside under this heavy rain. Imagine no Weah, no Cummings, no Yekeh, no Musa Bility, just youths. This is a troubling reminder that Boakai has failed,” Kolubah stated.
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