Former President George Weah has expressed shock and dismay over what he termed as the police’s decision to open fire on innocent civilians near his party’s headquarters and in the surrounding areas.
Speaking to a local daily yesterday August 21, 2024 following the police raid behind the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) national headquarters on Tubman Boulevard in Congo Town, Weah condemned the actions of the police, describing them as a threat to peace and a question mark over the UP-led administration’s ability to govern effectively.
“The UP administration claimed they know how to govern, but they are not exhibiting tolerance. Why open fire on innocent civilians? As early as 2 AM, they started attacking,” former President Weah stated.
“This is not good governance. We are a nation of rule and law. This needs to stop. We demand answers.”
Early Thursday, violent clashes erupted between riot police and CDC supporters when officers of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) stormed the community to raid some ghettos.
Following the clashes, some CDC supporters were forcefully detained by riot police. A particularly disturbing video shows police dragging a supporter from within the party’s headquarters amidst thick clouds of tear gas.
According to reports, at around 4:30 AM on Thursday, officers from the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) raided alleged drug dealers in the Small-Town Community, which hosts the CDC headquarters. Sources indicate that the drug dealers fled into the party headquarters, prompting the officers to follow them inside.
CDC Secretary General Jefferson Koijee took to Facebook as early as 6 AM, stating, “Heavily armed state security forces have invaded our party’s headquarters for the second time this morning, engaging in sporadic shootings that caused panic and chaos among citizens and partisans in and around the party’s headquarters.” The social media post by the CDC Secretary General led to serious commotion between state securities and some partisans and supporters of the party.
