MONROVIA – Emmanuel Polay Nyan, Propaganda Chair of the Student Unification Party (SUP), has vowed to continue the organization’s confrontational approach in defending the rights of students at the University of Liberia (UL).
In a statement issued Tuesday, September 16, 2025, Nyan described SUP’s mission as a revolutionary struggle against what he called “forces that manufacture poverty, ignorance, and disease for the masses.” He emphasized that the movement is not seeking approval or acceptance from authorities, but is committed solely to serving students and the broader Liberian public.
“Our role as revolutionaries is clear: to disrupt power and make those who manufacture poverty, ignorance, and disease for the masses deeply uncomfortable. We do not struggle for approval, applause, or personal acceptance,” Nyan said. He warned that anyone seeking praise from those in power has no place in the organization. “If your desire is to be praised, to be loved, or to be accepted by the oppressor, then this struggle is not for you,” he added.
Nyan invoked historical figures such as Malcolm X and Nelson Mandela to reinforce his message, noting that those who fight for genuine change are rarely celebrated in their own time. ““The moment reactionaries begin to praise you, it means you have already compromised or you are on the verge of compromise,” he said.
The statement followed protests at UL’s main campus on Capitol Hill, Monrovia, on Monday, September 15, 2025, during which some SUP members were reportedly arrested by police. Nyan said the arrests were carried out under instructions from the American Embassy, which he claimed was acting to protect its citizens. He issued a six-hour ultimatum for the release of the detained members, warning that failure to comply could lead to further action from SUP.
“If those comrades can’t be released, we will arrest Dr. Mapenyan because we know where she stayed. We will arrest Police Inspector Gregory Coleman and turn him over to SUP Chairman for discipline,” Nyan said. “He sent his police, who can’t take five push-ups, to arrest our brigadier general, who is equivalent to 5,000 U.S. Marines,” he added.
SUP continues to present itself as a defiant force in the ongoing student activism at the University of Liberia, insisting that its actions are necessary to challenge what it sees as systemic neglect and oppression of students.
