In the aftermath of the October 15, 2019 students’ riot which turned bloody, the Liberia National Police is sharply criticizing some Liberians that are allegedly using unorthodox methods on social media to spread fake videos and pictures aimed at denigrating its image and the overall image of the government.
Addressing a press Conference yesterday, Police spokesman Moses Carter said some individuals with the intent to cause widespread violence began widely spreading videos and photos that do not relate to Tuesday’s incident, noting that they maliciously circulated photos of injured victims of the recent electoral violence in District #15.
“We will like to make it very clear that the video that is being widely circulated on Facebook depicting students being injured at the GW Gibson High School is fake and far from reality of what happened on Tuesday when students of the MCSS took to the streets in demand of their teachers’ salary,” Mr. Carter stated.
Clarifying, Spokesman Carter said on March 22, 2011, LNP officers clashed with students of the GW High School which resulted to major injuries of students. “It is important to note that that incident happened in 2011 when MCSS students stormed the streets in demand of salary for their teachers and it happened on the campus of the GW Gibson High School on the Capitol Bye-pass,” he said.
Carter noted that what is uglier about such misrepresentation of the facts in Tuesday’s MCSS student violent protest is for evil-minded individuals to attempt to use photos and videos of an incident that took place years ago to attribute it to what happened Tuesday when LNP officers responded to restore law and order.
“Furthermore, to tell how fake the video is, the LNP did not have any encounter with students at the GW Gibson campus on the Capitol Bye-pass on Tuesday, October 15, 2015 as portrayed in the purportedly fake riot video trending on social media,” he reiterated, while calling on those involved in such acts to stop with immediate effect.
“Such action on the part of these unpatriotic citizens has the propensity to cause chaos and undermine the peace and stability of the state,” cautioned Carter.
He further assured that the current police administration will not use heavy hand or approaches in dealing with situations except where necessary based on the circumstance of the situation.
“The LNP’s role in Tuesday’s violent protest was basically to restore calm as the result of violence that ensued between MCSS students and private school students from the SDA High School, Camp Johnson Road and Sinkor, JJ Roberts High School and the John & Minnie Wulue High School on the Capitol Bye-pass who came under attack with stones throwing on their various campuses.
Those in the business of spreading lies and falsehoods must desist now or face punitive measures. It is important that we put Liberia first in all that we do which with promote peace and stability of the state.
While we appreciate that citizens may have legitimate claims, it is important for such claims to be channeled to government authority (ies) in line with the rule of law instead of violating the rights of peaceful citizens,” Carter stated.
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