Monrovia – The Independent Council of Patriots (ICOP) has started campaigning in various communities in Monrovia to hold a “counter peaceful protest” against the Council of Patriots’ (COP) “Weah Step Down” protest slated for December 30, 2019.
The ICOP states that the reason for a counter-protest against the COP is to “protect the peace of Liberia”.
“This campaign is not intended to say to peacefully assemble to petition your government is bad but the COP protest for December 30 is unconstitutionally and that protest is not Democratic,” said Rufus Neufville, head of the ICOP.
According to the former Montserrado County’s 8th District Lawmaker, the organizers of the December 30 protest have a “selfish intent” and are using the protest to plot against the ruling establishment “by destroying lives and property.”
Said Neufville: “The new group of people that are organizing protest for December 30th they don’t want to exercise their democratic rights, they want chaos, they want destruction and they want government to move from office; they want to break down our peace and the very fabric of our society…”
Addressing community members in the Jallah Town, Neuville stated that if the COP will have a peaceful protest by petitioning the government, then there will be no need for his group to counter-protest.
“But this one, the people announcing that they coming overthrow government, we don’t want trouble,” stressed Neuville.
Neufville continued: “I am one of those who do not work in government but I respect the peace and unity of the country; If hell breaks loose the whole government and opposition will scatter.”
Meanwhile, the head of the ICOP disclosed that if the COP continues with their plan to protest on December 30, his group will build a “human chain” around the three branches of government “to protect our country come December.”
“We are mobilizing 100,000 Liberians; I am one of those that criticized the government so whether you like the gov’t or not let them end their term but to say we want to bring confusion and chaos it is not in the interest of the country,” he said.
“So those that organizing protest to put government down on December 30, you will have to put us down first. We will build a human chain of 400,000 Liberians around the Capitol Hill to protect our Democracy. We are not protecting individual but we are protecting the Democracy and stability of Liberia…,” he announced.