-STAND Returns Amid Gov’t Inaction on July 17 Protesters’ Demands
By Jerromie S. Walters
MONROVIA – The prominent Liberian civil society organization, Solidarity & Trust for a New Day (STAND), has declared it will lead a second major national protest on December 17, 2025, asserting that the administration of President Joseph Boakai and Vice President Jeremiah Koung has completely failed to address the sweeping set of demands presented during a large-scale demonstration this past summer.
STAND Chairman Mulbah Morlu made the announcement over the weekend following the climax of the group’s first major strategic meeting to plan the upcoming event. In a sharply worded statement posted to his Facebook page, Morlu declared, “December 17 Protest is coming! A decisive turning point against the abuse of power. Bigger. Louder. Fearless. Uncompromising. Boakai – Lead or Leave. No Retreat! Enough is Enough!”
He expressed gratitude to all volunteers for the powerful planning meeting as they prepare for what he termed a “historic Resistance launch” this Thursday, concluding, “The die is cast!” This new protest is a direct response to the government’s perceived inaction following the July 17, 2025, “Enough is Enough” protest, where hundreds of angry Liberians participated and delivered a 14-day ultimatum for the government to respond to their grievances.
The protesters had threatened to return to the streets if their concerns were not given the needed attention, a threat now being realized. A defining moment of the July protest was the organizers’ refusal to submit their petition to the House of Representatives’ Claims and Petitions Committee, with leaders declaring they would only deliver their demands directly to President Joseph Boakai or Vice President Jeremiah Koung, an act that symbolized a deep distrust of governmental channels.
The protest itself highlighted critical national issues, including rising poverty, widespread insecurity, and a palpable sense of government indifference. The administration now under pressure, led by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, who defeated former President George Weah with 50.64 percent of the vote to 49.36 percent in the second round of the 2023 presidential election, is facing significant criticism just one and a half years into its six-year term.
Taking up office at the age of 79, President Boakai, now 80, is the oldest president in the country’s history and was sworn into office on Monday, January 22, 2024. STAND Chairman Mulbah Morlu has consistently expressed profound frustration over what the group calls a persistent pattern of government neglect, rising insecurity, rampant corruption, and drastically worsening living conditions for ordinary Liberians.
During the July protest, Morlu announced the 14-day ultimatum for President Boakai to respond, stating forcefully to a thunderous crowd at the Capitol Bypass, “Our petition is not for a Speaker or a committee—it is for the President and his Vice,” and warning, “If they fail to respond within 14 days, we’ll return to the streets across Montserrado.”
President Boakai, who was attending the launch of the Liberia AI Challenge 2025 at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town during the July protest, appeared to react to the citizens’ concerns by remarking, “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,” a statement many protesters viewed as dismissive.
The “Enough is Enough” petition outlines ten key demands that address the nation’s most pressing concerns. It calls for substantial economic relief, specifically a living wage of at least US$500 for all civil servants to help them cope with the rising cost of living, and demands a complete overhaul of the healthcare system to eliminate preventable deaths and improve medical services nationwide.
Furthermore, it seeks justice for motorbike and kehkeh operators by reversing what it describes as unfair restrictions on their operations and emphasizes the need to end politically motivated dismissals in the civil service to ensure fair employment practices.
The resolution also aims to protect democratic tenure by reversing recent actions that have undermined job security for public officials and calls for restoring legislative independence following alleged political interference in parliamentary affairs.
It demands police accountability, including the dismissal of officers involved in violent crackdowns and thorough investigations into human rights abuses by security forces, and seeks protection of citizens’ rights, particularly fair compensation for those forcibly evicted from their properties. Additionally, the petition pushes for stronger anti-corruption measures, including prosecuting officials involved in graft and reviewing questionable concession agreements.
Moreover, the petition advocates for community rights, urging transparency and fair benefits for communities affected by multinational corporations’ operations. The organizers’ insistence on presenting these demands only to the highest levels of executive power underscores the seriousness of their campaign.
This growing discontent is fueled by a perception among a considerable portion of the Liberian populace that President Boakai’s first year in office was less effective than that of his predecessor, George Weah. Many citizens cite the soaring costs of basic necessities, significant lapses in combating the national drug crisis, low job creation, and a troubling disregard for the rule of law as the key challenges currently facing the nation.
This sentiment is particularly striking given that during the 2023 campaign, the now-ruling Unity Party (UP) vehemently highlighted the consequences of drugs, massive corruption, mysterious killings, and extreme hardship under the Weah administration—issues that were overwhelmingly embraced by an electorate voting in a quest for rescue, making the current disillusionment a potent political force.
