“Enough Is Enough”: Liberians protest for justice, jobs, and accountability

Hundreds of angry Liberians participating in Thursday’s “Enough is Enough” protest gave the Liberian government a 14-day ultimatum to respond to their demands. The protesters threatened to return to the streets if their concerns are not given the needed attention.

This came after they refused to submit their petition to the House of Representatives’ Claims and Petitions Committee, declaring they would only deliver their demands directly to President Joseph Boakai or Vice President Jeremiah Koung.

According to them, only the two officials are acceptable authorities to formally acknowledge their demands. The protest under the theme: “Enough is Enough” highlights rising poverty, insecurity, and government indifference. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai defeated former President George Weah with 50.64 percent of the votes to 49.36 percent in the second round of the 2023 presidential election, which was held on 14 November.

Taking up office at 79, Boakai who is now 80 is recorded as the oldest president of the country. President Boakai was sworn into office on Monday, January 22, 2024. Just one and a half years into his six-year term, some Liberians don’t seem okay with the operation of his government. STAND Chairman Mulbah Morlu, expressed frustration over what they called a pattern of government neglect, rising insecurity, rampant corruption, and worsening living conditions.

Morlu announced a 14-day ultimatum for President Boakai to respond to their petition. His words: “Our petition is not for a Speaker or a committee—it is for the President and his Vice,” Mr. Mulbah Morlu declared to a thunderous crowd at the Capitol Bypass. “If they fail to respond within 14 days, we’ll return to the streets across Montserrado.”

President Joseph Nyuma Boakai was at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (EJS) Ministerial Complex in Congo Town during the protest. He had gone to launch the Liberia AI Challenge 2025. In what appears as a reaction to the citizens concern, the Liberian Leader noted: “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 “Enough is Enough” protest outlines ten key demands that address pressing national concerns. First, it calls for substantial economic relief, specifically a living wage of at least US$500 for all civil servants to help them cope with rising costs of living. Second, it demands a complete overhaul of the healthcare system to eliminate preventable deaths and improve medical services nationwide. Third, the resolution seeks justice for motorbike and kehkeh operators by reversing what it describes as unfair restrictions on their operations.

Fourth, it emphasizes the need to end politically motivated dismissals in the civil service to ensure fair employment practices. Fifth, the resolution aims to protect democratic tenure by reversing recent actions that have undermined job security for public officials. Sixth, it calls for restoring legislative independence following alleged political interference in parliamentary affairs.

Seventh, the document demands police accountability, including the dismissal of officers involved in violent crackdowns and thorough investigations into human rights abuses by security forces. Eighth, it seeks protection of citizens’ rights, particularly fair compensation for those forcibly evicted from their properties.

Ninth, the resolution pushes for stronger anti-corruption measures, including prosecuting officials involved in graft and reviewing questionable concession agreements. Finally, it advocates for community rights, urging transparency and fair benefits for communities affected by multinational corporations’ operations. However, organizers of the protest on Thursday insisted that they will not present their petition to anyone else, except President Joseph Boakai. This came after members of the House of Representatives Claims and Petitions Committee showed up to accept their petition.

When President Boakai’s administration clocked its one-year mark, a considerable portion of the Liberian populace felt his first year was less effective than that of his predecessor. Many Liberians cited to this paper the soaring costs of necessities lapses in combating drugs, low job creation, and a troubling disregard for the rule of law as key challenges facing the nation.

During the 2023 campaign, the Unity Party (UP) vehemently echoed the consequences of drugs, massive corruption, mysterious killings, unrealistic budgetary allocations, and what they considered as extreme hardship they believed the Weah-Taylor administration imposed on the people of Liberia.

Those pressing issues they flagged were overwhelmingly embraced by the electorate, as they voted against Weah in their majority, in a rescue quest. This was because the various issues were visible and they saw the UP as the best alternative, especially during the runoff election.