The recent wave of street protests by angry motorcyclists and
other youth groups in Harper Maryland County over the apparent murder of a
fellow motorcyclist, Bill Myers, which brought the entire city and its environs
to a grinding stop, is passing off with an uneasy calm returning to the city.
The police have revealed that they were still figuring out the monetary value to damage done by riotous youths to the police station, especially the building which houses the Women and Children section, as well as to vehicles and other property of the police.
Police reinforcements have been arriving since Tuesday, 29th
January to beef up the overwhelmed and outnumbered state security presence in
the county. There are accusations of summary arrests, beatings and detentions,
as well as extorting monies from relatives of the detained as “release fees”,
especially by the elite police Emergency Response Unit (ERU). These accusations
could not be independently verified, however.
Last week, thousands of youths, some well below 12 years old,
launched a three prong siege of the headquarters of the Liberia National Police
on Gregory Street in Harper. This led to the total vandalizing and looting of
the Women and Children Section at the police station. A day earlier, rowdy
youths at various points in the city mounted road blocks and cut off the free
flow of vehicular traffic.
Following a meeting with the youths and other supporters of the protest on last Tuesday, Superintendent George Prowd reported to the general citizenry on Tubman University’s Phoenix FM that the leaders of these various youth groups had assured him that they would not return to the streets on the following day. Further assurances, provided by Liberia’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Cllr. Musa Deen, also on Phoenix FM, as well as the initial intervention of ERU squads based in Pleebo, brought some respite to the situation.
On last Thursday, police updates during a mass citizens’
meeting, read by Assistant Commissioner Joshua During, who also commands the
ERU hub at Zwedru, revealed that at least 58 persons were summarily arrested
but noted that of that number; only 16 are currently in custody pending further
investigation and screening. He added that arrests made after the intervention
of the ERU are based on video and pictorial evidence.
Meanwhile, Internal Affairs Minister Varney Sirleaf said allegations of police brutality have not been brought to his attention. He however called on citizens to believe in the justice system and to use this incidence as a test case. He blamed citizens who normally plead with law enforcement operatives to compromise cases as reasons for matters being swept under the carpet.
The Minister furthered that
the reinforcements of state security personnel will remain until there is a
total return of normalcy, adding that perpetrators of the Tuesday riots which
led to the vandalizing of the police station will also be brought to book.
In a related development, Superintendent George Prowd has asked his Harper District Commissioner, Mr. Abraham Jackson, to call a meeting of all chiefs, elders, youth groups and other stake holders of the outlying Big Town, Middle Town, Rock Town, Fish Town and Little Wleboe. The meeting is scheduled for Monday, 4th February.
However, according to Bayway Geenekahn, head of the motorcyclist Federation in
Maryland, reports are still coming in of summary arrests and detention by
police.
Well, in the thicket of all
this, concerns have been raised about the behavior of young people in the Liberian
society today.
Several citizens and residents who spoke to Phoenix Microphone expressed shock and disbelief that many parents would allow their very young children to go out in the streets and openly challenge the law and state security trying to restore order.
During the protests it was common to see children as young as 7 years running amuck, intimidating health workers, market women and anyone they saw as an obstruction to their cause. On two occasions, on Monday, 28th January, protestors invaded the main campus of the Tubman University, disrupting normal activity as they banged on office doors and threw a barrage of debris and liter round and about the campus.
Professor Dr. Elliot Wreh-Wilson, President of Tubman University who was also present at the mass meeting on Tuesday, expressed dissatisfaction at the behavior of the youth. Professor Wilson said activities at the university had to be shut down for four days
Why a tragic situation,the destruction of properties is the wrong way to seek redress.