The much publicized “Enough Is Enough” protest encountered an unexpected turn of events on Thursday, July 17, as organizers failed to present their petition during the demonstration.
Despite the rain-drenched march to Capitol Hill in Monrovia in the middle of the afternoon, lead organizer and Chairman of the of the Solidarity Trust for a New Day (STAND) Mulbah Morlu and protesters declined to submit their petition to Representative Prince Toles, designated as the recipient by Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon, insisting on delivering it directly to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
The protesters, consisting mainly of youth, student activists, commercial motorcyclists, and opposition supporters, assembled outside the Capitol Building, vocally expressing their demands for immediate attention from the Boakai administration regarding concerns such as corruption, youth unemployment, and access to essential services.
The organizers emphasized their decision not to present their petition to any legislative representative, emphasizing the importance of directly engaging with President Boakai or a reputable delegate from the presidential office.
“If President Boakai can’t come himself, or at least send someone credible from his office, we will not hand over our petition,” Morlu said, effectively shunning Rep. Toles.
Following the protest, Morlu expressed disappointment in the absence of President Boakai to receive the petition and criticized the delegation of Toles, citing concerns of legitimacy and ethical integrity.
“President Boakai’s refusal to show up in person and instead dispatch Richard Koon to receive a petition from thousands of peaceful citizens—who stood undeterred even in the rain—is nothing short of a direct insult to the Liberian people,” the lead organizer said. “We categorically reject Mr. Koon not only as an unworthy representative, but as an illegitimate Speaker who openly defied the Supreme Court and remains entangled in serious allegations of bribery and corruption.
He noted that Speaker Koon should instead be facing prosecution, not entrusted with the people’s demands for justice.
“If the President was genuinely unable to attend, the Vice President — though himself not without controversy — could have been a more acceptable delegate, if only for the fact that he was duly elected,” Morlu noted. “But selecting someone under legal and ethical clouds was a deliberate act of disrespect.”
The demonstrators issued a 14-day ultimatum for President Boakai to address the petition’s demands; otherwise, a larger, assertive protest is anticipated in response to the administration’s perceived disregard for the people’s concerns.
“We are hereby giving President Boakai 14 days to publicly acknowledge and begin acting on the WE THE PEOPLE petition,” Morlu noted. “Should he fail to do so, we will return with a second wave of protest—bigger, louder, tougher, and entirely uncompromising.”
The ultimatum serves as a warning of continued public demands for action and responsiveness from the leadership in addressing pressing issues raised by the protest.
The assembly by hundreds of protesters reflected unity and a strong sense of purpose among participants.
Morlu conveyed appreciation to all involved in organizing and supporting the demonstration and underlined the importance of citizen engagement and accountability in the political landscape of Liberia.
“What happened today was historic — the largest peaceful civil society demonstration in recent memory. It was powerful, orderly, and unified in purpose,” he said. “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our profound and dedicated leaders, technocrats, organizers and every citizen, supporter, and ally who made it possible.”
