By Edwin M. Fayia, III, edwinfayia@yahoo.com
The Red-Light General Market in Paynesville City, outside Monrovia, considered Liberia’s main commercial hub for food and merchandise, recently turned chaotic, after officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) raided hundreds of buyers and street sellers.
They were beaten up and their market stalls and makeshift shelters were destroyed, as the state security forces enforced the restrictions and measures under the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown and State of Emergency.
One of the Health measures to be enforced is “Social Distancing” which is defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) thus: “Social distancing, also called “physical distancing,” means keeping space between yourself and other people outside of your home. To practice social or physical distancing:
- Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other people
- Do not gather in groups
- Stay out of crowded places and avoid mass gatherings”
The state security officers also brutalized several others that were within the perimeters of the market including those who had gone to buy basic food items, those returning from the market and even government workers heading for their respective offices.
The mood created by the brutality was anger, resentment and frustration on the faces of victims who had simply gone to the Red-Light General Market to buy food and house hold utensils.
Some of the victims, mainly housewives, were especially furious about government’s lockdown and restrictions and the brutal manner they were being enforced by the police and other paramilitary institutions.
They warned of imminent violence, unless some actions are instituted by the heads of the security parastatals to curb the scale of brutal treatments and abuses against peaceful traders.
Unlike Liberia, Mrs. Caroline B. Williams noted, countries around the world were enforcing health restrictions without the scale of abuses being witnessed in the country.
“But the actions of the LNP and LDEA agents do not send out positive signals on their general behaviour towards the Liberian people,” Mrs. Williams lamented.
Williams and others also want other security agencies involved with enforcing the health and restrictions to emulate the AFL, which continues to exhibit good conduct since the deployment of some of its men and women.
“We are encountering and enduring hardships, humiliation and harassment at the hands of LNP officers and LDEA agents at the various markets in Montserrado County,” Williams asserted in anger.
One of those caught up in the Red-Light chaos while on his way to work, was Cyrus who says COVID-19 health restrictions being enforced by security agencies have resulted into more harm than good; especially taking into account the human rights violations around the country.
He pointed out that security officers have embarked on widespread intimidation, harassment, extortion and brutality in the name of enforcing COVID-19 regulations.