MONROVIA, LIBERIA – On December 17, 2024, the Monrovia City Court issued a Writ of Arrest for Sekou Kalasco Damaro and others, accusing them of orchestrating an unlawful protest. The writ, filed by the Ministry of Justice, outlines multiple charges, including riot, obstruction of public functions, and aggravated assault. It alleges that the defendants used social media platforms, such as Facebook, to incite Liberians to assemble for a protest in Monrovia, with the aim of forcibly entering the Capitol Building.
The writ claims that the defendants, on the morning of December 17, 2024, began gathering at various locations in Monrovia before marching toward the Capitol Hill area. They are accused of blocking main roads, damaging barriers set up by the Liberia National Police (LNP), and physically assaulting LNP Patrolman Amara Bility. The document further states that the defendants allegedly stole the officer’s weapon and caused damage to a state-owned Toyota Prado vehicle, valued at $40,000, along with three other vehicles.
The Ministry of Justice also charges the defendants with obstructing the government’s functions and engaging in disruptive actions. The writ emphasizes that the actions of the accused are unlawful, intentional, and criminal in nature, in violation of multiple provisions of Liberia’s Revised Penal Law.
Sekou Kalasco Damaro, one of the primary defendants, has denied all allegations, asserting that he was not involved in the protest. He stated that he was arrested while visiting friends near the Total Gas Station on the bypass and described his arrest as politically motivated. He also claimed that an officer had threatened his life during the arrest, an accusation he reported to the police emergency number before being detained.
The Writ of Arrest forms the legal basis for the charges against the defendants, with their trial set to proceed in the Monrovia City Court. The case remains under investigation as authorities prepare for the next steps in the legal process.
On Tuesday, December 17, 2024, Capitol Hill became the scene of intense clashes as protesters, led by Janjay Baikpeh and the Concerned Citizens for the Protection of the Constitution and Rule of Law, confronted police officers in a demonstration that quickly descended into chaos. While the protest was initially framed as a call to protect constitutional order, it raised significant questions about the true motives and intentions of its organizers.
Janjay Baikpeh, a former Grand Bassa County Superintendent, and Sekou Kalasco Damaro, both prominent members of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), spearheaded the protest alongside other CDC supporters. The demonstration, however, turned violent near the Capitol Building, drawing sharp criticism from various quarters.
Activist Martin K. N. Kollie, in a strongly worded statement titled “Why the Protest Failed – The Protest Leaders Had a Motive to Paint the Government ‘Black’ and Create Chaos”, condemned Baikpeh and the other organizers. He accused them of orchestrating the protest for political gain rather than out of genuine concern for Liberia’s constitutional order or national well-being.
