The 2019–2020 Liberian protests were a series of mass protests and civil disobedience campaigns as part of a popular movement by civilians in
Liberia
Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It ...
against economic turmoil; protesters demanded the resignation of the government of
George Weah
George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah (; born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian politician and former professional footballer who is the incumbent president of Liberia, in office since 2018. Prior to his election to the presidency, Weah served as ...
due to the crisis. Protesters first began their anti-government rallies in June, however, police fired
tear gas
Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ...
to disperse protesters while the internet was shut down in an attempt to quell mass protests. Opposition protests were organised throughout June, watched over by a heavy military presence. Protests consisted of nonviolent demonstrations,
general strikes
A general strike refers to a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large coa ...
,
barricades
Barricade (from the French '' barrique'' - 'barrel') is any object or structure that creates a barrier or obstacle to control, block passage or force the flow of traffic in the desired direction. Adopted as a military term, a barricade den ...
and bloodless disturbances.
Demonstrations re-erupted in December during which strikes and weekly protests were staged and held led by the opposition, with the biggest on 6–7 January 2020. Police used a
water cannon
A water cannon is a device that shoots a high-velocity stream of water. Typically, a water cannon can deliver a large volume of water, often over dozens of meters. They are used in firefighting, large vehicle washing, riot control, and mining. ...
to clear chanting and marching demonstrators and protesters, some of whom were setting tires on fire. Demonstrations and strikes continued for the week, however, the government managed to contain the movement by banning assemblies, protests and some members of the opposition. Protest activities and social protests were quelled in
Monrovia
Monrovia () is the capital city of the West African country of Liberia. Founded in 1822, it is located on Cape Mesurado on the Atlantic coast and as of the 2008 census had 1,010,970 residents, home to 29% of Liberia’s total population. As th ...
.
See also
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2019–2020 Guinean protests
The 2019–2020 Guinean protests, or the (FNDC), were a series of violent protests and mass civil unrest around Guinea against the rule of Alpha Conde that first broke out on 14 October 2019 against constitutional changes. More than 800 were ki ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liberian protests, 2019-2020
2019 protests
2020 protests
Protests in Africa
2020 in Liberia
2019 in Liberia