Thousands of protesters, led by women’s groups, marched through Monrovia on Thursday, August 7, urging the Liberian Government to declare a national emergency over the country’s escalating drug problem.
Demonstrators presented a petition to Parliament calling for the creation of a Special court for drug-related cases and for harsher penalties, including a minimum 20-year sentence for first-degree drug felonies — a significant increase from the current maximum term.
The protest follows a public sensitisation campaign launched by the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia, aimed at raising awareness and mobilising communities against drug abuse.
The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency reports that one in five young people in the country use illicit drugs, with over 800 so-called “drug dens” operating in the capital. The synthetic drug known locally as “kush” — often laced with opioids — has become the most common and deadly substance in Liberia and across parts of West Africa. Activists accuse President Joseph Boakai, who made tackling the drug crisis a central pledge in his 2023 campaign, of failing to deliver meaningful action.
Voices from the protest underscored the personal toll of the epidemic. Bowoulo Taylor Kelley, a leader of the female lawyers’ association, warned that the crisis is “destroying the future of our youth,” while resident Joanna Jah shared that her own son is a victim of addiction. “We have tried everything to keep them from the streets, but it has not worked,” Jah said, describing the march as an opportunity to demand urgent intervention before the crisis deepens further.