LEON Press Statement on June 7 Protexts

LEON deployed 17 Long Term observers across all Districts of Montserrado from June 5 to the present. They observed the June 7 protests and political rallies and meetings of some candidates of the Montserrado senatorial by-elections. LEON has also continued to monitor posts across Facebook and statements in the press across this period. LEON is happy, with all other Liberian’s that the ‘Save the State’ protest occurred without major incident and that people were largely able to exercise their democratic rights of freedoms of speech and assembly. The presence of the security forces was extremely large. `Although the peace was kept, the presence of so many heavily armed police, the establishment of barricades the day before, and the checking of protestor ID cards were all considered to be intimidatory measures by many of the people present.