Ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) Montserrado County Rep. Moses Acarous Gray says the Liberia National Police (LNP’s) marching band will escort protesters on June 7.
Rep. Gray, the CDC’s Vice Chairman for Political Affairs told a recent interview with this paper that the band will help to entertain protesters as they tour the principal streets of Monrovia with petitions for various foreign missions, the Capitol Building and the Executive Mansion.
“The provision of the marching band to the protesters is the government’s way of expressing their unflinching support to citizens who want to express or exercise their freedom of association, speech and expression,” Gray says.
He explains that government is prepared to receive any petition from the protesters as long it is done within the scope of the law and the Liberian Constitution.
“Past administration did not afford us the opportunity but today, we are going to provide the police marching band for them to parade the streets comfortably,” he says.
Rep. Gray claims that President George Weah’s administration is the only government that encourages the freedom of speech and expression by decriminalizing the libel laws.
He also boasts that the president provided a modern headquarters for the Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL).
Since the ascendency of the president, Rep. Gray narrates that there has been no political prisoner or media practitioner being locked up behind bars for statement made or for their reportage.
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The Montserrado County lawmaker says while the government is prepared to grant any request from its citizens to protest, failure on the part of the political leaders and individuals to institute measures to keep the protest peaceful will lead to total accountability of any negative results.
According to him, President Weah will ensure that the country is stable as protesters will not instill fear in the minds of their fellow citizens and the international community.
Protesters are claiming alleged gross disrespect for the Constitution, worsening state of the economy, questions over the infusion of a controversial US$25m into the economy to mop – up excess Liberian Dollars, mob violence and other issues.By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor–Edited by Winston W. Parley
