By Our Staff Writer
After angry protesters besieged the St. Joseph Catholic Hospital near Monrovia and blocked the main Tubman Boulevard, the Liberian government says its patience has run out and that it won’t tolerate any further street protests without permit.
Earlier, hundreds of people who converged on the hospital to resist police invitation to a woman who was allegedly abducted, gang raped and drugged, Ms. Jestina Taylor, clashed with police amid stone throwing.
The riot at the hospital and on the main street in the Monrovia suburb of Sinkor triggered panic among patients, health workers and relatives and friends as well as disrupted normal activities in the area.
Due to the intensity of the protest, Human rights groups had to intervene and negotiate a deal with Liberia National Police (LNP) authorities, which led to the handing over of Ms. Taylor to the rights activists led by Mr. Adama Dempster.
But Information Minister, Lenn Eugene Nagbe told a MICAT press conference on Thursday that the CDC government will henceforth not allow “hoodlums” to set roadblocks and disrupt free movement of citizens.
The government’s latest pronouncement that it will not hesitate to use heavy hand against future street protests has meanwhile triggered widespread support among stalwarts of the ruling CDC, who have all day Friday been expressing regrets over what they claim is the “softness” of President Weah in cracking down on anti-government protests.
Some pro-government people are even calling for the dismissal of Justice Minister, Cllr. Frank Musa Dean, who they see as sympathetic to the opposition.
Article 17 of the Liberian constitution guarantees the right to peaceful assembly.
Jestina Taylor, a former member of the disbanded Charles Taylor forces and now an opposition supporter, recently made some startling revelations on Facebook linking top officials of the CDC government to armed groups in the Liberian civil war.
It was after that, that she claimed that she was abducted, ganged raped and drugged by unknown individuals.
Jestina’s supporters say that they staged the protest on Thursday, because the police had planned to prevent her from going to the American Embassy for a schedule visa interview, so as to travel to the US for further medical treatment.
But the police denied the claim and said they wanted to get statement from her based on her claim of being abducted, gang rapped and drugged and that since her admission at the Catholic Hospital, the police have been providing her security.
With the deal struck between the police and the rights groups, Jestina waived her right to be silent and that she’s henceforth in their care.
Mr. Dempster, head of the local human rights consortium told Journalists on Thursday that Ms. Taylor could not go for her Thursday visa interview, because it was late. She will instead go to the American Embassy next Tuesday, he said.
But a pro-government radio station in Monrovia, Freedom FM said Friday morning that Ms. Taylor had no scheduled visa interview on Thursday. This radio also reported that that as a result of the Thursday’s pandemonium at the Catholic Hospital, four lives were lost, including those of patients who abruptly had to be taken off life support.
But this information is yet to be independently verified.