Liberians Protest at UN Headquarters and Outside President Boakai’s Hotel Over Drugs and “Selective Justice”

NEW YORK – Dozens of Liberians gathered in New York during the UN General Assembly to protest outside the hotel where President Joseph Boakai is staying, then at the United Nations Headquarters ahead of his address. Demonstrators said his government is not serious about fighting drug trafficking and is applying the law selectively.

By Selma Lomax, [email protected] 

“Our children are dying every day. We say no to drugs. We need justice. Let the United Nations hear our cry,” the protesters chanted. “Our children are dying. Our women are dying. The youth are dying. Say no to drugs… No to drugs.” Other chants targeted specific officials: “Gregory Coleman should be expelled. He is a drug dealer. Gregory must go… The IG must go.” They also called for an end to police brutality. At the hotel, some chanted “No to selective justice” repeatedly, and a section of the crowd shouted slogans directed at the president himself, including “Boakai, no drugs” and “Boakai, cocaine king.” These are the protesters’ allegations. No evidence was presented, and the government has not been shown to have responded to them.

Speaking to onlookers, one organizer said the group came “to protest against a bad government in Liberia” and “to stop drug trafficking in Liberia.” The protesters pointed to the arrest of a former vice president, saying senior officials they accuse of ties to drug traffickers remain free. “Why are those people staying home? Why are they not being arrested?” the organizer asked.

Another participant said the president and his family had been accused online of involvement but were never brought in for questioning. “The president should bring his son for questioning,” the participant said. “Anyone that is accused of such things should be brought for questioning.”

The protesters said their plan was to wait for President Boakai outside the hotel, march behind his convoy to the UN General Assembly, and continue demonstrating there.

“We are here to tell the world that our president, Joseph Boakai, is not serious in fighting the drug crisis in Liberia,” one said. They said they wanted the president to act on the crisis after his speech and appealed to the United Nations to hear their concerns.

Demonstrators also contrasted the setting with protests back home. They said Liberian police often respond to citizens who assemble to petition the government with water trucks and heavy weapons, whereas in New York police simply ensured the protest stayed peaceful. “We want justice, we want freedom,” one said. “We want our people to express themselves without fear.”

The protest stayed peaceful, with the demonstrators saying they would continue to the UN after the president’s arrival. The Liberian government had not responded to the protesters’ claims at the time of writing.