The United States Embassy in Monrovia has criticized the timing of the Council of Patriots (COP) planned protest across Liberia, describing it as “misplaced”.
The COP, which staged the June 7 mass peaceful protest in Monrovia, has announced it will be staging another protest across Liberia during next week’s July 26, 2019 Independence Day celebrations and their protest is slated to run from July 24-26, 2019.
COP, which has since seen defection of some of its members, say they will stay on the streets until President George Manneh Weah addresses their demands outlined in recent petition they presented to his office to end bad governance and violation of the Liberian constitution.
But a brief statement released by the American Embassy just a while ago (Thursday afternoon, July 18, 2019) said:
“While the U.S. Embassy supports the rights of citizens to lawfully apply to assemble or convey their views to elected officials, the intent to do so during the week of July 22 is misplaced. We commend the peaceful conduct of thousands of protestors who by their actions on June 7 conveyed they are interested in progress and national dialogue over aggression or demands. “
SEE FULL TEXT OF US EMBASSY STATEMENT BELOW:
“The U.S. Embassy read with interest the statement of the Council of Patriots (COP) issued July 12 announcing their intent to stage a nationwide protest beginning July 24. While the U.S. Embassy supports the rights of citizens to lawfully apply to assemble or convey their views to elected officials, the intent to do so during the week of July 22 is misplaced. We commend the peaceful conduct of thousands of protestors who by their actions on June 7 conveyed they are interested in progress and national dialogue over aggression or demands.
As the COP press release specifically calls on the international community to join their ‘long march,’ the U.S. Embassy responds by sharing its view that, particularly from a group carrying the banner ‘Council of Patriots’ and from a group which avows that patriotism remains central to their efforts, staging such actions as they have outlined, during independence celebrations, would instead convey a lack of commitment to national development. Ideally, events surrounding upcoming national celebrations should be devoid of partisan promotion or posturing, focusing instead on working together for the common good of the Liberian people.”