By Atty. Isaac W. Jackson, Jr
I join in applauding the dedicated organizers and participants of the December 17, 2022 public manifestation held in Monrovia under the banner “We Tiyah Suffering Rally”. The turnout was massive indeed, and certainly scored a resounding success by defying the odds.
Despite unscrupulous efforts by the kleptocratic Weah regime to undermine the rally, Liberians showed up and made their presence felt!
Yes! We proudly applaud the CPP because supporters boldly marched the streets amidst threats and intimidations from Weah’s vicious Maj-General Prince Johnson. We are not unaware of the thugs, acting upon the instructions of President Weah, who besieged and, I dare say, ransacked a government-friendly radio station, while Ambassador Lewis Garseedah Brown was in studio.
I hear the souring voices of remotely controlled government’s paid agents blathering about the rally not being a success, forgetting to realize that even if five people had turned out, the rally would have still been declared as successful because, we recognize the badge of courage to stand up against threats of intimidation from vicious military men. Hence, we are constrained to remind some of these unsophisticated talk show hosts about the words of Chris Hedges, the celebrated American activist and journalist that, “the moment we defy power in any form we are victorious. The moment we stand with the oppressed we are victorious.”
What these political nonentities and clients talk show hosts of the Weah regime don’t know is that, no act of rebellion, be it protest or mass rally is ever wasted. Because it effectively chips away at the edifice of the oppressor’s power. It emboldens the frightened and strengthens the weak. Let’s continue to stand up for Liberia!
Quite honestly, I don’t intend to waste my energies on the babble from the state-sponsored talk show host about crowd. Anybody with a modicum of intelligence or a tiny sense of history will concur that the CDC amassed the largest crowds in two successive Liberian general elections but, got flogged by the UP. Besides, it’s hypocritical for anyone to assert that a huge number of people did not support the rally, while also criticizing and railing against the event.
Liberians – ordinary and disappointed Liberians – have spoken. And they did so loudly, clearly and bravely, even as the cowardly showered them with unjustified and outright silly criticisms. The truth also is that those who bravely turned out did so for the many who are similarly afflicted all across Liberia, but could not.
Another sickening thing is the dragon tactics of state-sponsored Talk Shows. They suck you in slowly by giving you few minutes of appearance to accentuate their credibility, and thereafter mount a demonization campaign against you. This is exactly the tactics being deployed against Ambassador Lewis Brown, and Team Cummings. The smear merchants are aware of the eloquence of Lewis Brown, and the intellectual threat he poses against the Weah regime. So, they have started a demonization campaign against him – saying the nastiest things about Brown. The question that some of these remotely controlled government Talk Show hosts cannot answer with straight face is, how dare you call US-sanctioned criminals your friends but, demonize Lewis Brown who was thoroughly vetted by the American Government before taking up assignment as Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations? Enough of this BS!
For those who genuinely care about Liberia, it should matter little who highlights the suffering of our people. Weah and his irresponsible cohorts are pillaging our coffers recklessly and extending poverty across the length and breadth of our country. And the smear merchants want us to be bugged down with meaningless babble? Rubbish! If you can’t help to rid Weah off our people’s backs, you are complicit.
We need more rallies across the country! Bravo to the Masses! Change is imminent! Down with Weah and his bunch of detractors!