PHOTO: One scene from Tuesday’s anti-Police protest on Capitol Hill (Mike Jabateh in green sleeveless shirt)
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Monrovia- More than eight protesters were today, Tuesday arrested by the Liberia National Police on Capitol Hill during a big protest staged by some family members and friends of a truck conducted, who recently died last week after being severely flogged by police officers in the Gardnersville suburb of Monrovia.
Following their protest on August 3, 2021, President George Manneh Weah set up a special committee to join the Liberia National Police to speedily investigate the death of Alieu Sheriff who was allegedly beaten to death by three Police officers.
Alieu Sheriff beaten to death
The committee comprises the Internal Affairs Minister, Varney Sirleaf, the Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister and the Special Aid to the President.
The protesters, who were at the LNP headquarters, forcibly moved to the Temple of Justice nearby, almost entering the Supreme Court when they were blocked by Court officers and other security apparatus.
They were seen with green leaves tied on their hands and chanting: “We want Justice”. Others carried placards with the inscription: “we want Justice and want police brutality to end against citizens,” not only for their ken men.
The protesters were also demanding the killed truck conductor’s body for burial. But police investigators said that the deceased body can’t be turned over to them on ground that they are investigating matter.
A radical pro-CDC government political activist, Mark Jabateh told Journalists that he “” the officers of the Liberia National Police to Disperse the crowd due to criminal infiltration among their midst.
According to Mr. Jabateh, some criminals who were in midst have stones and some deadly weapons to give their protest a bad face.
The dispersing of the protesters took place after the head family members were in meeting with the police investigators.
Mr. Jabateh said their protest started peacefully from Garnderville early this morning without any criminal intent. But it was gathered by him that some guys came from waterside to cause trouble among them and it was upon that backdrop he ordered the police to dispense but he didn’t state by what means.
After Jabateh’s alleged order, the police immediately moved in by dispersing the huge crowd with tear gas and the protesters left the scene of the protest and ran between houses on the Capital bye-pass.
After the police dispersed the protesters, they ran behind them between the houses and arrested at least eight persons.
Speaking to Journalists at the police headquarters on Tuesday, Internal Affairs Minister, Sirleaf called on the protesters including the family members to remain calm, as they were working with the police to speedily investigate the matter.
The alleged officers are been disrobed and undergoing investigation by the professional standard Division of the Liberia National Police.
Most of the protesters took motorbikes on the protest ground which were seized after the police used tear gas to disperse them.
Meanwhile, Police spokesperson Moses Carter has confirmed that the has set a five men committee who will be visiting the deceased family members tomorrow August 4, 2021 to discuss the way forward.