David Anderson is a former President of The National Maryland County Associations in the Americas, commonly known as NAMCAL-US.
David is one of the sons of the late Hon. James Daniel Anderson, former Governor of the State of Maryland. David has been in the US making all efforts to bring pride to his people and provide relief in its strict sense of national development
As one may know, Marylanders from Liberia living in the US came together few years ago in the US to form a complete union. One of the reasons for the formation of a PERFECT Union is to fellowship and at the same time help each other in time of crises and together forge the future of Maryland in Liberia.
David Anderson is one of those leading the charge.
David is in Liberia. He came to bury his uncle. But upon his arrival, Maryland citizens are sending him messages to come to Maryland in order for him to be petitioned to run for elective office, come 2011 Parliamentary and Presidential Election in October.
I spoke with David while in Monrovia. I asked him whether or not he was interested.
This is what David and myself talked about:
David never ruled out anything when it comes to Maryland County in Liberia. He’s always willing and ready to serve Maryland in every way he can.
But David is in Liberia to bury his uncle. And so, seemingly, politics has not found a place in his current visit. From all indications, if the “Going-gets-rough” the “tough’ will get going. Evidently, David will make a move if he is asked to. I don't know all that. But I am looking into what Marylanders at home are saying about the brother.
Like Biblical David, David Anderson is up to the challenge. He's willing and ready for the long haul, it need be.
I am Thomas G. Bedell speaking and working on the ground in Liberia.
Friday, 25 March 2011
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Is It Me Or Senator Ballout Just Doesn’t Get It?
On March 24 & 25, 2010, eighteen (18) persons including, 1 Ambassador & Special Envoy to President Dr. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, 1 Assistant Governor of Maryland County, 1 County Inspector of Maryland, 1 District Commissioner of Harper District, 1 Airline Managing Director, 1 Hospital Administrator, 1 GSA County Coordinator, 1 Officer In Charge of an NGO, 1 Hospital Employee, 1 Reverend Nigerian national and many others, were arbitrarily arrested and arbitrarily detained by the Government of Liberia (GOL) on claims they murdered several individuals.
Whether or not the GOL claims are true and have a solid foundation (that these individuals arrested really murdered anyone) depends on who you ask. More so, it remains to be proven in a competent court of jurisdiction.
As such, the GOL has a serious Constitutional and Human Rights problem.
The GOL arbitrarily arrested and arbitrarily detained the accused. Not only did the GOL do that, its accusation is based on cardboard box evidence and a juju man’s mojo.
What this means is that, a juju man shuffled his mojo; looked in his “crystal” ball and understandably, his (the juju man) pen began to write. We understand the juju man’s pen wrote the names of the accused, except the name of the Nigerian pastor. Why?
I can’t answer the question. Your guess is good as mine!
Here’s the important part: The fact that the GOL based its claim on a juju man’s mojo is a violation of the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia. And we all know the Constitution is our Supreme Law. Whatever it condemns is really condemned. And whatever it does not recognize is not recognize. The Constitution forbids juju as a basis of prosecuting anyone in any court of competent jurisdiction. The opposite is true in the case of the GOL.
It is with this consideration, we (social justice and human rights groups) alarmed and called for the immediate release of the detainees.
The GOL had no other choice but to agree with us.
As such, it immediately release some of the detainees. Two of those left in prison (Cllr. Fulton Yancy and Amb. H. Dan Morais) were sent to court as per our demand.
Both the 4th Judicial Circuit Court and the Magisterial Court of Harper threw both cases over the window for lack of evidence.
Consequently, both (Cllr. Yancy and Amb. Morais), became free men thereafter.
Here is the other part that disturbed the minds of normal people everywhere:
While the “heat” was on, the GOL whisked the rest of the detainees away from Harper City under the cover of darkness to an unknown destination. Under the UN Laws, this is what is referred to as “Force Dissappearance.”
On Sunday, April 2010, the families went to visit with their love ones.
You know what they found?
They found out that the accused disappeared from the Maximum Prison Compound in Harper instantly.
When the families visited with the Prison Superintendent, Superintendent of the County and other law enforcement officers to inquire, every one of them said they knew nothing about what happened to the detainees.
This provoked chaos.
The families were afraid and unhappy that their love ones may have been secretly murdered by the State.
So they mounted extra pressure.
They visited with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) to ascertain the facts. UNMIL said it also knew nothing.
Evidently, no one knew nothing about the disappearance of the detainees. So to whom would the families and concerned citizens run?
It is hard to believe the Superintendent of the County (who is the vice juror of the President of the Republic), Prison superintendent (who runs the day-to-day activities of the Prison), Police Department (that sent to citizens to jail) actually knew nothing about the mysterious disappearance of the detainees. As hard as it is to believe it, that happens to be the case in Maryland.
Sooner not later, news reached that the detainees were taken to Grand Gedeh County at the Zwedru Maximum Prison Compound. This Prison Compound is basically for convicts ONLY.
Mind you, these detainees had not yet been taken to court. And so they were convicts. Yet they were sent to a Maximum Prison ONLY for CONVICTS.
The families were not pleased with such news.
They began to launch series of inquiries. But GOL was stonewalling. So frustration set in. Soon the communities in which these men were living got overly concerned. For them, this sort of arrest seemed more calculated and for an ulterior motive rather than seeking justice for the dead.
Soon, the detainees were taken away from Zwedru Maximum Prison Compound to the capital city of Liberia (Monrovia) for Speedy & Fair Trial. But to the surprise of the families and social justice and human rights advocates, the GOL gave so many excuses so much so that justice was delayed and therefore GOL denied the detainees JUSTICE.
Nobody could listen to the families of the detainees and the communiters of their locales. Consequently, political action became the way out. The people resolve to a mass peaceful protest demonstration throughout the major streets of Harper City to show their distaste of GOL’s unjust attitude.
The Emergency Response Unit (ERU) of the Police Department embarked upon violent actions against the unarmed civilians. One youth was shot in the mouth. A 9-month old baby was tear-gas causing him to bleed profusely from the nostril. Many women were violently kicked in the butt and some Clan and Town chiefs were violently beaten.
If the GOL doesn’t want to listen to its people, is it not appropriate for someone to help lift their Voice?!
And there’s where I come in!
I help lift the Voice of the People with sole intent to bring peace, harmony and full human understanding between the GOL and its citizens.
If it is wrong to lift the Voice of the People and seek mutual resolution of pending crises, then Senator John Akel Ballout is right to call me a “troublemaker.”
I’ve heard this before when principals of various schools in the old days called outspoken kids “rude’ students.
What they were not saying to and about the kids is that these students refused to allow their souls to be bent to the will of their self-proclaimed masters.
Considering the aforementioned, Senator John Akel Ballout, Snr. is as wrong as he can be!
I am a man of peace. I denounce violence of all shapes and forms!
I am Thomas G. Bedell working and speaking from on the ground in Liberia.
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
How Can Superintendent Brown Ignore The Plight of Shipwreck Victims?
Between 2008 and 2010, four ships wrecked. Most, if not all, of the passengers and victims are Marylanders. And So Maryland’s grief in this specific sense is justified.
Amongst the four wrecked ships, the first ship wrecked in Greenville, Sinoe County (Liberia). And that happened in 2008. In that ship, several persons got wounded and one severely. There was no fatality. A young girl’s toe was chopped off. But for unknown reasons, the young lady who toe got chopped off, disappeared in thin air. Efforts to find her in order to make her claims along with other victims on the Reparation List by the Shipwreck Victims Action Committee, proved futile.
On the ship that wrecked in Sinoe, an elderly lady's three left hand fingers also got chopped off. Ma Eliza Dennis is her name. In the days following the accident, the remnants of her fingers were all hanging on her for a protracted period time. In due course, they rotten. And smelled with a foul scent.
Ma Eliza was taken to the hospital in Sinoe. She had no funds to pay her medical bills. So, she was immediately discharged. The shipowners and the Government were nowhere to be found. Ma Eliza’s children in Monrovia send for her. Had they waited too long, Ma Eliza would have had serious medical problems. Her hand was getting rotten. One of her daughters, who works at the Catholic Hospital in Monrovia, placed her on her Credit at the Hospital for treatment. She was admitted and treated at the Catholic Hospital. The Bill was large. But it was charged on her daughter at the Catholic Hospital. Shipowners and crew members all disappeared. None came back to help the victims.
Prior to Ma Eliza being taken to Catholic Hospital, her fingers were rotten and smelling badly. Her children told me they could not remain in the house with their mother due to the foul odor of her fingers. They had to take a walk every time to get away from the bad smell. It was difficult for them. At this point, their mother’s medical and psychological problems reached an alarming stage. But with God and the help of the Shipwreck Victims Action Committee, the situation improve.
After the treatment, Ma Eliza Dennis returned to Harper City (capital of Maryland County) where she resides. The physical pains had healed. But the pain in the heart lingers on without reparation. And so was the psychological trauma.
Ma Eliza got home in Harper. But the unthinkable happened. Her oldest daughter died. She was forced to deal with the pain. She now had shipwreck pain and death. Her oldest daughter died instantly.
Immediately when she buried her oldest daughter, her youngest son suddenly died a mysterious death in Harper.
Pathologist said the kid died from “heart failure.” But the youths of Harper City disagreed. The kid was thier buddy. The youths claimed the kid was murdered by witchcraft. As a result, the youths took on the streets of Harper in a rampage in the name of their buddy. Violence hit Harper City. Several buildings were torn apart including the Police Station (newly renovated by an international NGO) and the Harper Maximum Prison Compound. As a result, prisoners at the Maximum Prison Compound escaped.
When the youths were contacted, they claimed the Authorities did not pay attention to their case of witchcraft. So they had to do what they did. Whatever they did did not make Ma Eliza’s case easy for her to handle; it made it more difficult. The Government imposed Dust to Dawn curfew. It kept Ma Eliza at home grieving. Her youngest son and oldest daughter's sudden deaths hurt her. Worse of all, Government’s investigation in the sudden death of her youngest son was not satisfactory to her. But she had no other choice but to accept all the misfortunes - the Sinoe shipwreck that severed her fingers making her disabled and the sudden deaths of her oldest daughter and youngest son in the same city.
All members of the Local authority, including Hon. J. GbleBo Brown knew all about Ma Eliza’s sad story. And he helped to work along with her in his capacity as superintendent during the death of Ma Eliza's youngest son.
Ma Eliza met with Hon. Brown.
Elizabeth (the young girl whose 11-year old daughter was crushed to death under the weight of a sugar mill machine) and legs slammed by a huge container, met with Hon. Brown too.
Betsy Seebo (twin baby died in her and her feet were smashed by containers, forced to swallow petrol gas on board when it poured over her while the container sat on her chest. She too, met with Superintendent J. GbleBo Brown.
Many other victims we cannot named here for lack of space and time, met with Hon. Brown, as well, personally.
Today, Hon. Brown claims he has no record and idea of the victims. Notice, several victims and I hand delivered documentations of this effect to his office which receipt he confirmed many times, except now.
In fact, Hon. Brown’s Administrative Assistant, Hon. Daniel Williams and I made series of attempts to complete the documentation. Hon. Williams told me the superintendent’s office had received other documents from other victims when it was aanounced on the community radio. But because of his “busy” schedule, he (Williams) and I never met to complete the work.
Essentially, Hon. Brown’s office is in possession of the documents.
On March 15, 2011, in a Line Ministries’ meeting, Hon. Brown was asked by the Internal Affairs Minister, Hon. Harrison Karnwea, if at all there is any information on the three other ships that wrecked before his (Karnwea’s ship – Havea) wrecked. Surprisingly, Hon. Brown replied to Minister Karnwea that He (brown) has no knowledge about three shipwrecks, except the one of May 30, 2010.
It is rather a shame that both men (Karnwea & Brown) pretend as if they know nothing about the plight of the victims of the three ships.
I bear solemn witness they are aware! The evidence is well and alive!
I am Thomas G. Bedell working and speaking on the ground in Liberia.
Amongst the four wrecked ships, the first ship wrecked in Greenville, Sinoe County (Liberia). And that happened in 2008. In that ship, several persons got wounded and one severely. There was no fatality. A young girl’s toe was chopped off. But for unknown reasons, the young lady who toe got chopped off, disappeared in thin air. Efforts to find her in order to make her claims along with other victims on the Reparation List by the Shipwreck Victims Action Committee, proved futile.
On the ship that wrecked in Sinoe, an elderly lady's three left hand fingers also got chopped off. Ma Eliza Dennis is her name. In the days following the accident, the remnants of her fingers were all hanging on her for a protracted period time. In due course, they rotten. And smelled with a foul scent.
Ma Eliza was taken to the hospital in Sinoe. She had no funds to pay her medical bills. So, she was immediately discharged. The shipowners and the Government were nowhere to be found. Ma Eliza’s children in Monrovia send for her. Had they waited too long, Ma Eliza would have had serious medical problems. Her hand was getting rotten. One of her daughters, who works at the Catholic Hospital in Monrovia, placed her on her Credit at the Hospital for treatment. She was admitted and treated at the Catholic Hospital. The Bill was large. But it was charged on her daughter at the Catholic Hospital. Shipowners and crew members all disappeared. None came back to help the victims.
Prior to Ma Eliza being taken to Catholic Hospital, her fingers were rotten and smelling badly. Her children told me they could not remain in the house with their mother due to the foul odor of her fingers. They had to take a walk every time to get away from the bad smell. It was difficult for them. At this point, their mother’s medical and psychological problems reached an alarming stage. But with God and the help of the Shipwreck Victims Action Committee, the situation improve.
After the treatment, Ma Eliza Dennis returned to Harper City (capital of Maryland County) where she resides. The physical pains had healed. But the pain in the heart lingers on without reparation. And so was the psychological trauma.
Ma Eliza got home in Harper. But the unthinkable happened. Her oldest daughter died. She was forced to deal with the pain. She now had shipwreck pain and death. Her oldest daughter died instantly.
Immediately when she buried her oldest daughter, her youngest son suddenly died a mysterious death in Harper.
Pathologist said the kid died from “heart failure.” But the youths of Harper City disagreed. The kid was thier buddy. The youths claimed the kid was murdered by witchcraft. As a result, the youths took on the streets of Harper in a rampage in the name of their buddy. Violence hit Harper City. Several buildings were torn apart including the Police Station (newly renovated by an international NGO) and the Harper Maximum Prison Compound. As a result, prisoners at the Maximum Prison Compound escaped.
When the youths were contacted, they claimed the Authorities did not pay attention to their case of witchcraft. So they had to do what they did. Whatever they did did not make Ma Eliza’s case easy for her to handle; it made it more difficult. The Government imposed Dust to Dawn curfew. It kept Ma Eliza at home grieving. Her youngest son and oldest daughter's sudden deaths hurt her. Worse of all, Government’s investigation in the sudden death of her youngest son was not satisfactory to her. But she had no other choice but to accept all the misfortunes - the Sinoe shipwreck that severed her fingers making her disabled and the sudden deaths of her oldest daughter and youngest son in the same city.
All members of the Local authority, including Hon. J. GbleBo Brown knew all about Ma Eliza’s sad story. And he helped to work along with her in his capacity as superintendent during the death of Ma Eliza's youngest son.
Ma Eliza met with Hon. Brown.
Elizabeth (the young girl whose 11-year old daughter was crushed to death under the weight of a sugar mill machine) and legs slammed by a huge container, met with Hon. Brown too.
Betsy Seebo (twin baby died in her and her feet were smashed by containers, forced to swallow petrol gas on board when it poured over her while the container sat on her chest. She too, met with Superintendent J. GbleBo Brown.
Many other victims we cannot named here for lack of space and time, met with Hon. Brown, as well, personally.
Today, Hon. Brown claims he has no record and idea of the victims. Notice, several victims and I hand delivered documentations of this effect to his office which receipt he confirmed many times, except now.
In fact, Hon. Brown’s Administrative Assistant, Hon. Daniel Williams and I made series of attempts to complete the documentation. Hon. Williams told me the superintendent’s office had received other documents from other victims when it was aanounced on the community radio. But because of his “busy” schedule, he (Williams) and I never met to complete the work.
Essentially, Hon. Brown’s office is in possession of the documents.
On March 15, 2011, in a Line Ministries’ meeting, Hon. Brown was asked by the Internal Affairs Minister, Hon. Harrison Karnwea, if at all there is any information on the three other ships that wrecked before his (Karnwea’s ship – Havea) wrecked. Surprisingly, Hon. Brown replied to Minister Karnwea that He (brown) has no knowledge about three shipwrecks, except the one of May 30, 2010.
It is rather a shame that both men (Karnwea & Brown) pretend as if they know nothing about the plight of the victims of the three ships.
I bear solemn witness they are aware! The evidence is well and alive!
I am Thomas G. Bedell working and speaking on the ground in Liberia.
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Senator John Ballout Insults Maryland Women (Shipwreck Victims)
Closed to thirty (30) women gathered in the Merry-Go-Round Park. The Merry-Go-Round is a park sitting directly opposite The Mount Scott United Methodist Church on Maryland Avenue, Harper City (Liberia).
It was about 3pm in the afternoon. The sun was still blazing in its celestial duty. The women that came to the meeting came from different backgrounds.
Most of the women are business women. They sell used clothing and other merchandise to help pay their children’s school fees and feed their homes and as well pay rent. Others are just housewives who engaged in front-yard sale (peanuts, candy, pepper, charcoal, etc).
These women left their marketplaces and household engagements to attend the meeting.
Senator Ballout was due to be at the meeting. These women had been attending series of meetings geared towards seeking reparation for them. They thought this meeting to be attended by Sen. Ballout (after three years of running to and from meetings on reparation matters) would yield better fruits than the rest of the meetings did. But not too long, they realized they were wrong. Sen. John Akel Ballout, Snr., senior senator of Maryland released a barrage of insults on them. And they were all disappointed.
According to Ballout, some Marylanders were engaged in a political demonstration during which time they asked him to resign his post as senator of the county. So he takes serious offense. Because he thinks the shipwreck victims (mainly women) did nothing to stop the demonstration. The women did not hesitate to tell him they could do nothing. Because it was not their business. Their business is in the marketplace where they sell their goods. If anyone asked him to resign, they (shipwreck victims women) believe it is the right of those involved to seek whatever they wish to obtain. This response pissed Ballout off. He launched another platitude of insults on the women.
One of the ladies is a young woman. She’s 23 years old. She came from Pleebo where she resides today. Well, she used to live in Monrovia (Liberia’s capital). But because of the shipwreck, she could no longer return to Monrovia. Her business broke down completely and her 11-year old daughter died in the wreck. Her 11-year old was killed by a sugar mill that dropped from the top of the ship on her on deck. She died instantly.
The other woman (Betsy Seeboe) came all the way from behind the Martha Tubman Ball Park located around the City Hall vicinity. They called this new area, “Stadium Road.“ She was pregnant on the ship with twins. Containers fell on her in the ship and pinned her down to the floor for over eight hours. Some of the containers rested on her belly. The other containers rested around her throat. The ones around her throat were gas containers. The gas poured into her mouth for a protracted period of time. She was locked down by the other containers. And so she could not prevent the gas from entering her mouth. She drank and drank until she could drink gas. According to Betsy, the gas container rolled over her and fell into the Ocean. That’s how she found some relief. But she was still locked down on the floor. The gas ended up burning her body and peeled the skin. As rescue team pulled her from beneath the containers, her flesh began to fall apart. The rescue team could not handle her situation directly. And so it rolled her up in a cloth that it used to transfer her from point to point. When they got her at the hospital, the doctor told her one of the twins had died in her. The doctor also told her that both of her legs had to be amputated. She and her family refused to let the doctor amputate her legs. And so the doctor informed her that she would not live too long for failure for blood to flow from her legs. The other twin is born with many complications. Betsy spends all her time today at the hospital with her son since he‘s always sick. She calls her son, “God’s Gift.” Betsy too has her own medical problems. Her legs are numb. She collapses most of the times. And when that happens, she in bed for a week or a little bit more. Her poor husband has to redouble his efforts to bring home the “bacon.” Her business completely collapsed due to the shipwreck without any reparation.
Ma Eliza Dennis has her own story. She’s about 70 years old. She attended her daughter’s wedding in Monrovia. While returning, the ship that she was in wrecked in Sinoe County (Liberia). Three of her left hand middle fingers got severed. She was taken to Sinoe hospital to no avail. She went to Monrovia through her daughter’s support. She was admitted at the Catholic Hospital. But before going to the hospital, she stayed with her kids in the same house. The kids could not stay with their mother in the house because fingers were rotten and with a very strong foul smell. The kids could not withstand such foul smell. Every now and then they had to leave their mother in the house and go walking about. They all went through all this with their mother. Ma Eliza had her some business goods on the ship. All the goods now sit in the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean without reparation from the ship-owners or Government of Liberia. More insults and injury were added to Ma Eliza’s life. Upon her return to Harper, one of her grown-up daughters who used to be Bishop Dalieh’s cook died instantly. Immediately after her burial, her youngest son died from heart failure. Two deaths in one month and three severed fingers without reparation is Ma Eliza’s life story.
There were more women at the meeting with similar stories as shipwreck victims. They all fell under the blade of John Ballout’s verbal violation of good diction for no apparent reason.
The poor women left the Park but in tears, pain and sorrow.
The young lady from Pleebo, whose 11-year old daugther died in the wreck, says she’ll never return again for any meeting pertaining to reparation. She says she wishes Sen. Ballout the “best” life can offer. She expressed her dissatsifaction over Senator Ballout's attitude towards them as women of shipwreck. She says that she intends to go on living her life as long as there is life without begging for help from the Government and/or Ballout.
Betsy blasted Ballout without fear. But Ballout never stopped there. He continued pouring more insults on the women as if he is mad! And all this is because he (Ballouts) thinks it is bad for Marylanders to ask him to resign.
I am Thomas G. Bedell working and speaking on the ground in Liberia.
It was about 3pm in the afternoon. The sun was still blazing in its celestial duty. The women that came to the meeting came from different backgrounds.
Most of the women are business women. They sell used clothing and other merchandise to help pay their children’s school fees and feed their homes and as well pay rent. Others are just housewives who engaged in front-yard sale (peanuts, candy, pepper, charcoal, etc).
These women left their marketplaces and household engagements to attend the meeting.
Senator Ballout was due to be at the meeting. These women had been attending series of meetings geared towards seeking reparation for them. They thought this meeting to be attended by Sen. Ballout (after three years of running to and from meetings on reparation matters) would yield better fruits than the rest of the meetings did. But not too long, they realized they were wrong. Sen. John Akel Ballout, Snr., senior senator of Maryland released a barrage of insults on them. And they were all disappointed.
According to Ballout, some Marylanders were engaged in a political demonstration during which time they asked him to resign his post as senator of the county. So he takes serious offense. Because he thinks the shipwreck victims (mainly women) did nothing to stop the demonstration. The women did not hesitate to tell him they could do nothing. Because it was not their business. Their business is in the marketplace where they sell their goods. If anyone asked him to resign, they (shipwreck victims women) believe it is the right of those involved to seek whatever they wish to obtain. This response pissed Ballout off. He launched another platitude of insults on the women.
One of the ladies is a young woman. She’s 23 years old. She came from Pleebo where she resides today. Well, she used to live in Monrovia (Liberia’s capital). But because of the shipwreck, she could no longer return to Monrovia. Her business broke down completely and her 11-year old daughter died in the wreck. Her 11-year old was killed by a sugar mill that dropped from the top of the ship on her on deck. She died instantly.
The other woman (Betsy Seeboe) came all the way from behind the Martha Tubman Ball Park located around the City Hall vicinity. They called this new area, “Stadium Road.“ She was pregnant on the ship with twins. Containers fell on her in the ship and pinned her down to the floor for over eight hours. Some of the containers rested on her belly. The other containers rested around her throat. The ones around her throat were gas containers. The gas poured into her mouth for a protracted period of time. She was locked down by the other containers. And so she could not prevent the gas from entering her mouth. She drank and drank until she could drink gas. According to Betsy, the gas container rolled over her and fell into the Ocean. That’s how she found some relief. But she was still locked down on the floor. The gas ended up burning her body and peeled the skin. As rescue team pulled her from beneath the containers, her flesh began to fall apart. The rescue team could not handle her situation directly. And so it rolled her up in a cloth that it used to transfer her from point to point. When they got her at the hospital, the doctor told her one of the twins had died in her. The doctor also told her that both of her legs had to be amputated. She and her family refused to let the doctor amputate her legs. And so the doctor informed her that she would not live too long for failure for blood to flow from her legs. The other twin is born with many complications. Betsy spends all her time today at the hospital with her son since he‘s always sick. She calls her son, “God’s Gift.” Betsy too has her own medical problems. Her legs are numb. She collapses most of the times. And when that happens, she in bed for a week or a little bit more. Her poor husband has to redouble his efforts to bring home the “bacon.” Her business completely collapsed due to the shipwreck without any reparation.
Ma Eliza Dennis has her own story. She’s about 70 years old. She attended her daughter’s wedding in Monrovia. While returning, the ship that she was in wrecked in Sinoe County (Liberia). Three of her left hand middle fingers got severed. She was taken to Sinoe hospital to no avail. She went to Monrovia through her daughter’s support. She was admitted at the Catholic Hospital. But before going to the hospital, she stayed with her kids in the same house. The kids could not stay with their mother in the house because fingers were rotten and with a very strong foul smell. The kids could not withstand such foul smell. Every now and then they had to leave their mother in the house and go walking about. They all went through all this with their mother. Ma Eliza had her some business goods on the ship. All the goods now sit in the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean without reparation from the ship-owners or Government of Liberia. More insults and injury were added to Ma Eliza’s life. Upon her return to Harper, one of her grown-up daughters who used to be Bishop Dalieh’s cook died instantly. Immediately after her burial, her youngest son died from heart failure. Two deaths in one month and three severed fingers without reparation is Ma Eliza’s life story.
There were more women at the meeting with similar stories as shipwreck victims. They all fell under the blade of John Ballout’s verbal violation of good diction for no apparent reason.
The poor women left the Park but in tears, pain and sorrow.
The young lady from Pleebo, whose 11-year old daugther died in the wreck, says she’ll never return again for any meeting pertaining to reparation. She says she wishes Sen. Ballout the “best” life can offer. She expressed her dissatsifaction over Senator Ballout's attitude towards them as women of shipwreck. She says that she intends to go on living her life as long as there is life without begging for help from the Government and/or Ballout.
Betsy blasted Ballout without fear. But Ballout never stopped there. He continued pouring more insults on the women as if he is mad! And all this is because he (Ballouts) thinks it is bad for Marylanders to ask him to resign.
I am Thomas G. Bedell working and speaking on the ground in Liberia.
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Protest Demonstration in Harper City - Youths Arrested, Detained and to be Prosecuted by the State
On Monday, February 17, 2011, the news of the arrest of Ambassador H. Dan Morias broke in Maryland. The County of Maryland in Liberia sits comfortably in the keyhole of the southeastern region of the country.
In about an hour in Harper, the streets began to swell with people stemming from elders to youths and women. They wanted to know what had happened. Because prior to that, the City was already tensed when the County Attorney arrived in Harper ahead of schedule for the February Term of Court. People wanted to know why he (County Attorney) arrived in Harper so early. Because news of the possible arrest of Amb. H. Dan Morais was circulating.
A group of chiefs, elders, youths and others met with the County Attorney, Cllr. Aloysius Allison, in his office to ascertain the facts. Cllr. Allison admitted that it is true his mission in Harper was to arrest the Ambassador. The people asked him not to. Because they (people) believe it is wrong to arrest nine others and keep them in prison without a trial and then come back and arrest another son of theirs for the same reason.
The crowd left the County Attorney's office and continued on to the Governor of the County, Hon. J. Gblebo Brown's residence. He (Governor) admitted that the County Attorney truly came to arrest Amb. Morais.
The people did the same thing that they did for the County Attorney - they advised the Governor not to carry on another arrest until the other nine of their sons and daughter in prison are tried in a competent court of jurisdiction. Otherwise, they would resist the arrest of Amb. Morais.
The last person that the people met that day to discuss this possible arrest of the Ambassador was the representative of the Harper District - Hon. James Biney. The people told Hon. Biney what they told the County Attorney and Governor - they would resist any arrest of one more of their children. Because the Government has not tried the rest that were arrested. And it's been almost one year ago.
It is upon this fact that when the news hit that the Ambassador was arrested and it was proven to be true, things began to take a different shape in the City. The people, mostly, the Greboes from the two chiefdoms (Kudemoweh & Numoweh), whose children had been previously arrested without a court trial and detained, began to engage the streets. Soon, there was an impromptu protest demonstration.
On that Monday, February 17, 2011, the march was peaceful. Chiefs, men, women and children as well as youths came from different persuasions. They chanted slogans and said, “Justice Delayed is Justice Denied!” and "Gloria, Ballout, Gblebo and Regina MUST resign!” They also chanted, "No Justice no election!"
Those who were out there did include, Friends of Morais (FOM) who are mostly Tubman University and high school students. Some of those FOM came from Pleebo, Harper, Karluway and Barrobo. Others came from social clubs, chiefs of the different towns, villages and hamlets.
They all were calling for the Fair & Speedy Trial of the previous 9 arrested on March 24 & 25, 2010. They added the Ambassador;s name to the list to be set free.
The March came from Downtown Harper, passed by the City Hall and then back Downtown before going to Bigtown (outsketch of Harper) where it originated. Tuesday, February 18, the same thing happened. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 19, 20 & 21, respectively, the same thing happened, except that tear gas was used heavily on the protesters on Thursday. But on Saturday and Sunday, protest demonstration ceased temporarily.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday the crowd grew larger and larger. Sooner not later, it would resemble Libya, Tunisia and elsewhere.
On Monday, February 28, 2011, protest demonstrators (men, women, elders, chiefs, youths) marched through the City again. The protesters ended up in the vicinity of the Harper City Hall. Between the Maximum Prison Compound and the City Hall all “hell” broke loose.
The Emergency Response Unit (ERU) began to fire tear gas at the crowd. Soon the crowd dispersed. It began to run in different directions like a defeated scout. A nine year old baby was tear-gas along with his mother. A young man around age 18 was shot. I visited with him at the hospital. Alphonso Howard is his name. He was in tears and blood running from his mouth in a container that the hospital provided for his use. He couldn’t talk. His entire mouth was ripped apart. Some say it wasn't a bullet. I like to know what it was that broke hjis teeth and open his jaw.
I left the hospital and went back to the location where the ERU was still violently pressuring the people. The plume of tear gas filled the entire area. I maneged to get through to pick up some elderly, cheifs and youths who we hit very hard. It was chaotic in the area. People were still running in different directions but mainly towards their locales where the protest demonstration originated - Bigtown.
The ERU kept on their backs as they were running back to their locales. Soon the ERU began to arrest individuals along the way. It arrested the ones that collapsed from extreme tear gas and pain and dumped them in Police padded wagons. All of those arrested were youths.
By the time the protesters reached in their neighborhood, six youths were already arrested and thrown in Police padded wagons. One of the youths arrested was already ill when he was arrested. He wasn’t one of the protesters. He was passing by. The crowd caught up with him. And he couldn’t running any faster because he was ill. So the Police arrested him. The Police kept him in jail for more than two days without medical attention. On the third day in jail, his illness became very serious. The Police took him to the hospital for a single injection to keep him alive in order for him to carry its orders - demonstrate planted evidence in their (Police) favor. Later on, they took the three youths back in jail. Messrs. Himmie Morais, Anthony Himmie Dison and Joseph Hodge remained in jail for exactly four days after the protest rally. The other two youths were released for “Lack of evidence” by the Police.
The three youths were released on Bill on Thursday, March 3, 2011 after four days of hard prison time. They had no food and water. They were deprived of telephone calls to family and legal counsel. They were processed through the Pleebo Magisterial Court. This a City where the incident did not occur. But they imprisoned the three youths in Harper Maximum Prison Compound.
On Monday, March 7, 2011, the Case of the three youths was moved on the Docket in the Pleebo Magisterial Court instead of the Harper Magisterial Court where the incident took place.
The Clerk called the Defendants and read the Charge (s) in court. According to what was read, the youths are charged with “Breaking the Law - illegal demonstration, failure to disperse, planting juju in front of the City Hall to kill people, asking Government officials to resign…”
At the Hearings, the Defendants showed up. There were Chiefs, youths, elders (men & women) and others. But the State (Prosecution) failed to show up.
So the Case is rescheduled for this coming Friday, March 11, 2011 at precisely 10am in Pleebo (an approximately 1-hour drive from Downtown Harper).
All is expected to be present.
The turn out for the youths was great. Tens and tens of Paramount and Clan chiefs and elders (men & women) from the different villages, towns, and hamlets around Harper were in full attendance. This sent a message that local government is undergoing a serious rock-and-roll.
I am Thomas G. Bedell writing and speaking from on the ground in Harper, Maryland County
In about an hour in Harper, the streets began to swell with people stemming from elders to youths and women. They wanted to know what had happened. Because prior to that, the City was already tensed when the County Attorney arrived in Harper ahead of schedule for the February Term of Court. People wanted to know why he (County Attorney) arrived in Harper so early. Because news of the possible arrest of Amb. H. Dan Morais was circulating.
A group of chiefs, elders, youths and others met with the County Attorney, Cllr. Aloysius Allison, in his office to ascertain the facts. Cllr. Allison admitted that it is true his mission in Harper was to arrest the Ambassador. The people asked him not to. Because they (people) believe it is wrong to arrest nine others and keep them in prison without a trial and then come back and arrest another son of theirs for the same reason.
The crowd left the County Attorney's office and continued on to the Governor of the County, Hon. J. Gblebo Brown's residence. He (Governor) admitted that the County Attorney truly came to arrest Amb. Morais.
The people did the same thing that they did for the County Attorney - they advised the Governor not to carry on another arrest until the other nine of their sons and daughter in prison are tried in a competent court of jurisdiction. Otherwise, they would resist the arrest of Amb. Morais.
The last person that the people met that day to discuss this possible arrest of the Ambassador was the representative of the Harper District - Hon. James Biney. The people told Hon. Biney what they told the County Attorney and Governor - they would resist any arrest of one more of their children. Because the Government has not tried the rest that were arrested. And it's been almost one year ago.
It is upon this fact that when the news hit that the Ambassador was arrested and it was proven to be true, things began to take a different shape in the City. The people, mostly, the Greboes from the two chiefdoms (Kudemoweh & Numoweh), whose children had been previously arrested without a court trial and detained, began to engage the streets. Soon, there was an impromptu protest demonstration.
On that Monday, February 17, 2011, the march was peaceful. Chiefs, men, women and children as well as youths came from different persuasions. They chanted slogans and said, “Justice Delayed is Justice Denied!” and "Gloria, Ballout, Gblebo and Regina MUST resign!” They also chanted, "No Justice no election!"
Those who were out there did include, Friends of Morais (FOM) who are mostly Tubman University and high school students. Some of those FOM came from Pleebo, Harper, Karluway and Barrobo. Others came from social clubs, chiefs of the different towns, villages and hamlets.
They all were calling for the Fair & Speedy Trial of the previous 9 arrested on March 24 & 25, 2010. They added the Ambassador;s name to the list to be set free.
The March came from Downtown Harper, passed by the City Hall and then back Downtown before going to Bigtown (outsketch of Harper) where it originated. Tuesday, February 18, the same thing happened. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 19, 20 & 21, respectively, the same thing happened, except that tear gas was used heavily on the protesters on Thursday. But on Saturday and Sunday, protest demonstration ceased temporarily.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday the crowd grew larger and larger. Sooner not later, it would resemble Libya, Tunisia and elsewhere.
On Monday, February 28, 2011, protest demonstrators (men, women, elders, chiefs, youths) marched through the City again. The protesters ended up in the vicinity of the Harper City Hall. Between the Maximum Prison Compound and the City Hall all “hell” broke loose.
The Emergency Response Unit (ERU) began to fire tear gas at the crowd. Soon the crowd dispersed. It began to run in different directions like a defeated scout. A nine year old baby was tear-gas along with his mother. A young man around age 18 was shot. I visited with him at the hospital. Alphonso Howard is his name. He was in tears and blood running from his mouth in a container that the hospital provided for his use. He couldn’t talk. His entire mouth was ripped apart. Some say it wasn't a bullet. I like to know what it was that broke hjis teeth and open his jaw.
I left the hospital and went back to the location where the ERU was still violently pressuring the people. The plume of tear gas filled the entire area. I maneged to get through to pick up some elderly, cheifs and youths who we hit very hard. It was chaotic in the area. People were still running in different directions but mainly towards their locales where the protest demonstration originated - Bigtown.
The ERU kept on their backs as they were running back to their locales. Soon the ERU began to arrest individuals along the way. It arrested the ones that collapsed from extreme tear gas and pain and dumped them in Police padded wagons. All of those arrested were youths.
By the time the protesters reached in their neighborhood, six youths were already arrested and thrown in Police padded wagons. One of the youths arrested was already ill when he was arrested. He wasn’t one of the protesters. He was passing by. The crowd caught up with him. And he couldn’t running any faster because he was ill. So the Police arrested him. The Police kept him in jail for more than two days without medical attention. On the third day in jail, his illness became very serious. The Police took him to the hospital for a single injection to keep him alive in order for him to carry its orders - demonstrate planted evidence in their (Police) favor. Later on, they took the three youths back in jail. Messrs. Himmie Morais, Anthony Himmie Dison and Joseph Hodge remained in jail for exactly four days after the protest rally. The other two youths were released for “Lack of evidence” by the Police.
The three youths were released on Bill on Thursday, March 3, 2011 after four days of hard prison time. They had no food and water. They were deprived of telephone calls to family and legal counsel. They were processed through the Pleebo Magisterial Court. This a City where the incident did not occur. But they imprisoned the three youths in Harper Maximum Prison Compound.
On Monday, March 7, 2011, the Case of the three youths was moved on the Docket in the Pleebo Magisterial Court instead of the Harper Magisterial Court where the incident took place.
The Clerk called the Defendants and read the Charge (s) in court. According to what was read, the youths are charged with “Breaking the Law - illegal demonstration, failure to disperse, planting juju in front of the City Hall to kill people, asking Government officials to resign…”
At the Hearings, the Defendants showed up. There were Chiefs, youths, elders (men & women) and others. But the State (Prosecution) failed to show up.
So the Case is rescheduled for this coming Friday, March 11, 2011 at precisely 10am in Pleebo (an approximately 1-hour drive from Downtown Harper).
All is expected to be present.
The turn out for the youths was great. Tens and tens of Paramount and Clan chiefs and elders (men & women) from the different villages, towns, and hamlets around Harper were in full attendance. This sent a message that local government is undergoing a serious rock-and-roll.
I am Thomas G. Bedell writing and speaking from on the ground in Harper, Maryland County
Saturday, 5 March 2011
Maryland: Three Heroes of The Kudemoweh & Numoweh Chiefdoms Peaceful Protest Demonstration, Feb. 28 to March 4, 2011
On Monday, March 7, 2011, three kids that were arrested in Harper City during a peaceful protest demonstration. The Liberia National Police top them to jail. They spent four days in jail.
These kids are heroes. They deliberately and courageously overcome obstacles. And that was for the benefit of their people (Kudemoweh & Numoweh) without regard to personal consequences. They left prison and have conquered obstacles. They have the qualifying credentials of heroes and a measure of their true leadership. They are Heroes of Peace, without regard to personal consequences. They embraced obstacles as opportunities for growth; utilize fear as a means to show courage; protect and maintain the dignity of their adversaries; crusade compassionately for those unable to speak for themselves, and celebrate diversity for the enrichment of their people.
Messrs. Himmie Morais, Anthony Himmie Dison and Joseph Hodge make us to know the significance of heroes in our lives. They make us realize we need inspirational heroes as role models for our lives. Many of today's heroes are often sports figures, celebrities, and rock stars whose lives are laced with controversy as well as frequent appearances in our over-crowed court rooms. Where can we find exemplary heroes with proven values demonstrating respect for their fellow humans? How can we learn conflict resolution practices ending in peaceful solutions with dignity and respect being preserved for all? When will we understand and value a work ethic showing the rewards for diligence and quality? How long before forgiveness presides over revenge? This will lead to the acceptance of diversity and help extinguish the embers of discrimination. These three brothers are the answer to the many unanswered questions.
These Heroes of ours will appear before the Pleebo Magisterial Court in the city of Pleebo to answer questions to their heroism.
The three Heroes were released on Bond on Thursday, March 3, 2011 after four days of hard prison time.
It is the Liberia National Police that filed charges against them. And so the Police that beat them up has the “Burden of Proof” that they (Heroes) did anything wrong except for being Heroes of their downtrodden people.
For the case, Defense lawyers are gearing up to defend the Heroes.
Traditional Chiefs, students, market women, yanna boys, shoe shine boys, social justice advocates and human rights groups are expected to attend.
Messrs. Himmie Morais, Anthony Himmie Dixon and Joseph Hodge are ready to tell their stories. They will tell us what happened to them while in prison.
According to these Heroes the Police violated their fundamental human and constitutional rights.
Under duress they were forced to make statements. They intend to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
These kids are heroes. They deliberately and courageously overcome obstacles. And that was for the benefit of their people (Kudemoweh & Numoweh) without regard to personal consequences. They left prison and have conquered obstacles. They have the qualifying credentials of heroes and a measure of their true leadership. They are Heroes of Peace, without regard to personal consequences. They embraced obstacles as opportunities for growth; utilize fear as a means to show courage; protect and maintain the dignity of their adversaries; crusade compassionately for those unable to speak for themselves, and celebrate diversity for the enrichment of their people.
Messrs. Himmie Morais, Anthony Himmie Dison and Joseph Hodge make us to know the significance of heroes in our lives. They make us realize we need inspirational heroes as role models for our lives. Many of today's heroes are often sports figures, celebrities, and rock stars whose lives are laced with controversy as well as frequent appearances in our over-crowed court rooms. Where can we find exemplary heroes with proven values demonstrating respect for their fellow humans? How can we learn conflict resolution practices ending in peaceful solutions with dignity and respect being preserved for all? When will we understand and value a work ethic showing the rewards for diligence and quality? How long before forgiveness presides over revenge? This will lead to the acceptance of diversity and help extinguish the embers of discrimination. These three brothers are the answer to the many unanswered questions.
These Heroes of ours will appear before the Pleebo Magisterial Court in the city of Pleebo to answer questions to their heroism.
The three Heroes were released on Bond on Thursday, March 3, 2011 after four days of hard prison time.
It is the Liberia National Police that filed charges against them. And so the Police that beat them up has the “Burden of Proof” that they (Heroes) did anything wrong except for being Heroes of their downtrodden people.
For the case, Defense lawyers are gearing up to defend the Heroes.
Traditional Chiefs, students, market women, yanna boys, shoe shine boys, social justice advocates and human rights groups are expected to attend.
Messrs. Himmie Morais, Anthony Himmie Dixon and Joseph Hodge are ready to tell their stories. They will tell us what happened to them while in prison.
According to these Heroes the Police violated their fundamental human and constitutional rights.
Under duress they were forced to make statements. They intend to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Friday, 4 March 2011
Maryland: ERU Shot Another Kid - Police Brutality
Police Brutality!
Liberia National Police (LNP) Emergency Response Unit (ERU) Monday, March February 28, 2011, responded to a peaceful protest demonstration of The Numoweh & Kudemoweh and Friends of Morais with violent and overbearing tactics, injuring at least seven protesters and threatening others. One of those injured was shot in the mouth by the ERU. His mouth was blown open and teeth torn out of his head. The kid was not in the protest. He was selling his merchandise on the sidewalk when the unfortunate thing happened to him.
Early at 8am women, men and children gathered in Bigtown preparing to protest against the Government’s refusal to give those arrested in March of 2010 a Fair & Speedy Trial. Their march was part of a national demonstration planned to take place simultaneously in Monrovia and Harper to pressure Government to either set the deatinees free or try them immediately in a competent court of jurisdiction within a period of a month.
The Numoweh, Kudemoweh & Friends of Morias protesters - including several other sympathisers - marched throughout the major streets of Harper and past the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) Headquarters bearing banners reading "Free Our Sons & Daughter, Sens. Ballout, Scott, Supt. Brown & City Mayor Sampson MUST Resign.” Other placards and banners read, "These men & women have brought shame to our county and polarize us," and "We will not vote if our children in Monrovia & Grand Gedeh are not set free."
As people watched the protesters, at least 8 ERU Police officers well-armed drew closer. Joint security was also tight, with ten police guarding the entrance to the City Hall, where the Chiefs conducted a sit-in in front the city Hall from Friday to Monday.
The marchers eventually came up the hill from Hance Street between the City Hall and the Maximum Prison Compound shortly after 10am, at which point the ERU was seen dragging the Chiefs from the City Hall Exit between the Prison. Within that period, protesters were coming up the hill. The ERU commander immediately released a bullet that hit a kid right in his mouth and blew the mouth open.
The kid fell to the ground. He beagn to bleed profusely. The ERU forbided anyone to come over and pick up the kid. One could hear the kid mourning in the blazing summer sun.
The leader of the protesters urged the protesters to move under the tree and get out of the streets. The ERU threw another tear gas bomb that exploded with a huge plume of smoke. A 9-month old baby was directly hit. And he began to bleed from his nostril. The mother did know what to do. She got confused. The ERU did not stop there. It released more tear gas. The crowd got confused and did not know where to run. Chaos began to erupt thereafter.
I received the information while in Bigtown. I proceeded to the scene. That’s when the ERU commander made the remark that he and his team were looking for me to “destroy” me. I challenged him. I asked the protesters to leave and return to Bigtown. They agreed. I proceeded to the hospital to see the kid that was shot. While there, the ERU followed the protesters as they retreated to Bigtown. As the protested retreated, ERU began picking one at a time. In the end, they picked up about eight kids and put them in their padded wagons. And then to jail.
The protesters knew the movement into the streets of Harper was civil, meaning they were not breaking criminal law, and the police therefore had no right to interfere. However, from the beginning, protesters were subjected to heavy-handed policing techniques. ERU commander and the Acting Regional/County commander, Amos Darpo, attempted to arrest protesters and sieze their placards and banners, claiming they was illegal to carry them.
Two arrests for obstruction were made, the first at 10:30am. Neither of those arrested are believed to have been in the protest. After witnessing the first arrest, a protester, who asked not to be named, commented: "The police are just assaulting people. One person helped another on a motorbike to get away so a police officer grabbed the man helping the other and told him 'you're under arrest', so he moved away and they grabbed him again."
The mood turned uglier as protesters tried to save their comrades from police brutality as the police continue to slap and kick women in the butt. The crowd surged to the front of the building as women and children cry to be left alone. As protesters retreated, the officers began to use truncheons to push them back onto the grass.
A market woman said, "The policeman hit me on my temple and I fell to the floor. This happened to many protestors, none of whom were being aggressive."
A second protester voiced her disbelief at the way the event was handled by the police: 'I was near the front of the March heading towards old schools and was facing the police. They took out their guns immediately and began to strike at women and chiefs completely unprovoked. There was no space to move back and I was struck in the face, even as I called out to them to stop hitting people. Everyone was chanting 'we are peaceful, what are you?' I was then shoved up against a wall where one officer put his arm across my throat for a minute. I couldn't breathe."
All this took place as the regular Liberia National Police and Tubman University Security boss looked on, refusing to intervene. In a statement released yesterday, The Friends os Morais said: "The protests were marred by police aggression and brutality against women and traditional chiefs. When the University should have been supporting the women and chiefs message against injustice, they instead took side with the police at the City Hall, where a number of Chiefs and women were injured in unprovoked assaults."
I am Thomas G. Bedell working and speaking on the ground in Liberia.
Liberia National Police (LNP) Emergency Response Unit (ERU) Monday, March February 28, 2011, responded to a peaceful protest demonstration of The Numoweh & Kudemoweh and Friends of Morais with violent and overbearing tactics, injuring at least seven protesters and threatening others. One of those injured was shot in the mouth by the ERU. His mouth was blown open and teeth torn out of his head. The kid was not in the protest. He was selling his merchandise on the sidewalk when the unfortunate thing happened to him.
Early at 8am women, men and children gathered in Bigtown preparing to protest against the Government’s refusal to give those arrested in March of 2010 a Fair & Speedy Trial. Their march was part of a national demonstration planned to take place simultaneously in Monrovia and Harper to pressure Government to either set the deatinees free or try them immediately in a competent court of jurisdiction within a period of a month.
The Numoweh, Kudemoweh & Friends of Morias protesters - including several other sympathisers - marched throughout the major streets of Harper and past the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) Headquarters bearing banners reading "Free Our Sons & Daughter, Sens. Ballout, Scott, Supt. Brown & City Mayor Sampson MUST Resign.” Other placards and banners read, "These men & women have brought shame to our county and polarize us," and "We will not vote if our children in Monrovia & Grand Gedeh are not set free."
As people watched the protesters, at least 8 ERU Police officers well-armed drew closer. Joint security was also tight, with ten police guarding the entrance to the City Hall, where the Chiefs conducted a sit-in in front the city Hall from Friday to Monday.
The marchers eventually came up the hill from Hance Street between the City Hall and the Maximum Prison Compound shortly after 10am, at which point the ERU was seen dragging the Chiefs from the City Hall Exit between the Prison. Within that period, protesters were coming up the hill. The ERU commander immediately released a bullet that hit a kid right in his mouth and blew the mouth open.
The kid fell to the ground. He beagn to bleed profusely. The ERU forbided anyone to come over and pick up the kid. One could hear the kid mourning in the blazing summer sun.
The leader of the protesters urged the protesters to move under the tree and get out of the streets. The ERU threw another tear gas bomb that exploded with a huge plume of smoke. A 9-month old baby was directly hit. And he began to bleed from his nostril. The mother did know what to do. She got confused. The ERU did not stop there. It released more tear gas. The crowd got confused and did not know where to run. Chaos began to erupt thereafter.
I received the information while in Bigtown. I proceeded to the scene. That’s when the ERU commander made the remark that he and his team were looking for me to “destroy” me. I challenged him. I asked the protesters to leave and return to Bigtown. They agreed. I proceeded to the hospital to see the kid that was shot. While there, the ERU followed the protesters as they retreated to Bigtown. As the protested retreated, ERU began picking one at a time. In the end, they picked up about eight kids and put them in their padded wagons. And then to jail.
The protesters knew the movement into the streets of Harper was civil, meaning they were not breaking criminal law, and the police therefore had no right to interfere. However, from the beginning, protesters were subjected to heavy-handed policing techniques. ERU commander and the Acting Regional/County commander, Amos Darpo, attempted to arrest protesters and sieze their placards and banners, claiming they was illegal to carry them.
Two arrests for obstruction were made, the first at 10:30am. Neither of those arrested are believed to have been in the protest. After witnessing the first arrest, a protester, who asked not to be named, commented: "The police are just assaulting people. One person helped another on a motorbike to get away so a police officer grabbed the man helping the other and told him 'you're under arrest', so he moved away and they grabbed him again."
The mood turned uglier as protesters tried to save their comrades from police brutality as the police continue to slap and kick women in the butt. The crowd surged to the front of the building as women and children cry to be left alone. As protesters retreated, the officers began to use truncheons to push them back onto the grass.
A market woman said, "The policeman hit me on my temple and I fell to the floor. This happened to many protestors, none of whom were being aggressive."
A second protester voiced her disbelief at the way the event was handled by the police: 'I was near the front of the March heading towards old schools and was facing the police. They took out their guns immediately and began to strike at women and chiefs completely unprovoked. There was no space to move back and I was struck in the face, even as I called out to them to stop hitting people. Everyone was chanting 'we are peaceful, what are you?' I was then shoved up against a wall where one officer put his arm across my throat for a minute. I couldn't breathe."
All this took place as the regular Liberia National Police and Tubman University Security boss looked on, refusing to intervene. In a statement released yesterday, The Friends os Morais said: "The protests were marred by police aggression and brutality against women and traditional chiefs. When the University should have been supporting the women and chiefs message against injustice, they instead took side with the police at the City Hall, where a number of Chiefs and women were injured in unprovoked assaults."
I am Thomas G. Bedell working and speaking on the ground in Liberia.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)