Monrovia, Liberia – April 14, 2025, has been designated as a day of nationwide action by the Vanguard Student Unification Party (SUP) to call for justice for the residents and students who were violently attacked during the demonstration on July 26, 2022. Sylvester Wheeler, the party’s chairman, declared during a news conference on Tuesday, April 8, that SUP will no longer stand by and watch as victims of state abuse are disregarded.
The rally will mark the 46th anniversary of the April 14, 1979, massacre, in which the Tolbert administration used lethal force against workers and students who were protesting, according to Wheeler. He noted that in addition to paying respect to the 1979 victims, the impending demonstration is a call for accountability in Liberia, where justice for the 2022 bloodshed is still elusive.
Wheeler said, “The government continues to ignore our calls for justice, and the criminals involved in these atrocities are still walking free. Our April 14 protest will call for justice for all victims of state brutality, especially the students who were brutalized on July 26, 2022.”
The present government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has been accused by SUP of egregious apathy, claiming that it has not brought charges against those guilty for the 2022 brutal crackdown. The student movement also threatened to use citizen arrests to apprehend offenders if the government refused to take action.
In addition, the party issued a harsh assessment of President Boakai’s leadership, calling his government the worst in Liberia’s history. As the suffering of common Liberians continues to worsen, Wheeler claimed the government has failed to address urgent problems including unemployment, poverty, and the deteriorating health system.
Wheeler stated that the Liberian people are suffering under President Boakai’s leadership. “Despite the state of our economy and health system, the president’s actions continue to impede efforts to build a brighter future.”
As proof of the country’s economic collapse under President Boakai, SUP pointed to Liberia’s recent ranking as the eighth poorest nation in the world by the Global Finance Index. The Liberian dollar’s sharp decline and skyrocketing inflation were also criticized by the party, which said that the majority of the population could no longer afford basic commodities and services.
“Inflation is soaring, the roads are still terrible, and the young people are still unemployed, while Boakai enjoys the comforts of life, our people suffer,” Wheeler said.
The party criticized Dr. Layli Maparyan, the president of the University of Liberia, for what it called her “reckless and out of touch remarks regarding SUP’s stance on the Liberia Football Association.” She was accused by Wheeler of siding with the Boakai government against the interests of students and trying to stifle student opposition.
When Boakai’s police stormed the university with weapons and tear gas, Maparyan remained silent, according to Wheeler. “Now she wants to give us a speech on civility? Hypocrisy like this is unacceptable.”
In order to bring about social change in Liberia, SUP reiterated its dedication to using radical involvement, civil disobedience, and ideological opposition. Wheeler said that the student movement would continue despite government persecution and intimidation, saying it would not jeopardize the interests of the Liberian people.
