STAND & We the People Movement Officially Notify Government of December 17 “Lead or Leave – Enough Is Enough” Nationwide Protest
Monrovia, Liberia — The Solidarity & Trust for a New Day (STAND), in collaboration with WE THE PEOPLE Movement and other partner institutions, has formally notified the Government of Liberia—through the Ministry of Justice—of a nationwide peaceful protest scheduled for December 17, 2025, under the rallying cry: “Lead or Leave – Enough Is Enough.”
This decisive action follows the historic July 17, 2025 protest, when thousands of Liberians peacefully petitioned the government for justice, accountability, and reform—only to be ignored, mocked, and dismissed.
In its official communication to the Ministry of Justice, the coalition reaffirmed that the people’s demands remain clear and just:
• Respect for the rule of law and protection of human rights;
• Action against corruption, impunity, and selective justice;
• Economic stabilization, price control, and improved healthcare;
• An end to gender-based violence and the selective prosecution of rape cases;
• A decisive fight against drug proliferation and abuse; and
• The adoption of meaningful reforms to lift millions of Liberians out of poverty and despair.
Since that day, the government’s silence and inaction have only deepened public despair and widened the divide between the governed and those who govern. As the cost of living continues to soar and national hardship worsens, the patience of the Liberian people has been stretched to its breaking point.
Against this backdrop, the December 17 “Lead or Leave—Enough is Enough” protest has become even more urgent—energized by the 2024 U.S. Department of State Human Rights Report on Liberia, which credibly documents egregious police abuses, including extrajudicial killings, torture, corruption, and arbitrary detentions.
Equally alarming is the entrenched impunity and selective justice now defining Liberia’s legal system. Rape and drug cases are selectively prosecuted based on political connections—evident in Minister Bryant McGill’s evasion of prosecution, defended by an Inspector General of Police who shields him rather than upholds the law, and George Kailondo, whose business faces serious drug trafficking allegations yet remains untouched, likely due to government connections.
These disturbing realities mock Liberia’s ‘End Rape’ and ‘No to Drugs’ campaigns, undermine the rule of law, and sustain a culture where the powerful remain above accountability.
This massive people-based protest will take place simultaneously across all counties, with the main assembly set for the public grounds between the Executive Mansion and the Capitol Building, where demands will be made directly to the President.
STAND emphasized that peacefully assembling before the Executive Mansion is a constitutionally protected and non-negotiable right, cautioning that, “Unlike July 17, when police barricaded the area, the people will not accept any attempt to deny them access to their own grounds.”
Calling on the national security apparatus to uphold professionalism and respect citizens’ rights, the coalition warned:
“Our movement remains peaceful, disciplined, and law-abiding—but let it be clearly understood: the Liberian people will not retreat, will not be silenced, and will not bow to threats or intimidation.”
STAND further declared:
“We will remain peaceful—but fearless and uncompromising. Should the government attempt to resurrect the brutal tactics once used against the anti-BEA Mountain protesters that led to the notorious Kinjor massacre, then we will die standing—never on our knees in cowardice.”
The December 17 “Lead or Leave – Enough Is Enough” Protest also responds to the government’s failure to address growing attacks on fundamental rights, including:
• The unfair protection of officials accused of rape, such as Minister Bryant McGill;
• The shielding and selective prosecution of alleged drug traffickers, notably Mr. George Kailondo, whose business entity reportedly transports drugs between Sierra Leone and Liberia via Grand Cape Mount County; and
• The weaponization of the judiciary against opposition political institutions and dissenting voices.
“In pursuit of justice and reform, the Liberian people will rise—octopus-style—on December 17. Like July 17, they will remain peaceful, but will not leave the streets until their voices are heard and their demands are met,” the statement concluded.
Lead or Leave—Enough Is Enough!
Signed:
Mulbah K. Morlu, Jr.
Chairman, Solidarity & Trust for a New Day (STAND)
On behalf of the December 17 Non-Negotiable Protest Coalition
