-July 17 Protest Organizers Vow Escalated Resistance
Monrovia: The organizers of Liberia’s historic July 17 protests have condemned President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s administration, accusing the government of displaying “utter arrogance and contempt” for ignoring their demands as the 14-day deadline for a response expired this week. In a statement over the weekend, delivered by Mulbah K. Morlu, Jr., the protest leaders expressed outrage over President Boakai’s refusal to address the grievances that drove tens of thousands of Liberians into the streets two weeks ago in one of the largest demonstrations since he took office.
Despite what organizers described as an unprecedented display of peaceful defiance, President Boakai has yet to formally acknowledge the protesters’ petition, a snub Morlu labeled as a “disgraceful betrayal” of democratic accountability. He emphasized that the people spoke with one voice on July 17, but Boakai has responded with silence and disdain, crossing a red line that has eroded his government’s legitimacy in the eyes of the protesters.
With tensions escalating, protest leaders announced plans for a sustained campaign of nonviolent resistance, including strikes, sit-ins, and disruptive actions designed to paralyze normal governance until their demands are met. The full strategy will be unveiled at a mass gathering on August 4 at the STAND headquarters in Congo Town, which organizers have framed as both a “Thanks & Appreciation” rally for July 17 participants and a launchpad for broader mobilization. Morlu warned that the July 17 protest was just the beginning and that if Boakai continues to ignore the people, he will soon face the consequences of unified, relentless resistance.
The statement also highlighted new corruption allegations that have further fueled public anger, including the Tweah Oil Scandal, in which Unity Party Secretary General Amos Tweah stands accused of monopolizing oil and gas imports, a move critics say funnels profits into the ruling party’s 2029 election war chest while crushing Liberian businesses. Additionally, the controversial LTMI Deal, a $185 million outsourcing agreement with a Lebanese firm, has allegedly jeopardized 200 Liberian jobs at the Ministry of Transport while granting foreign entities 70% of revenue shares, a decision protesters have labeled as “economic treason” linked to Boakai’s inner circle.
Invoking themes of liberation, Morlu framed the struggle as a fight against creeping autocracy, warning that Boakai’s refusal to reform risks plunging Liberia into irreversible chaos. He asserted that police brutality and repression are not accidental but deliberate tools of dictators, yet tyrants ultimately fear the organized power of the people. The protesters vow to continue their resistance until justice prevails, declaring that Boakai must either lead responsibly or leave office.
The upcoming August 4 rally is now seen as a critical turning point, with observers watching closely to see whether the government will respond with concessions or further repression. For now, the streets remain a tinderbox, and the protesters’ message is clear: their fight for economic justice, democratic accountability, and an end to corruption will not stop until their demands are met.
