Former Liberian Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor has issued a strong condemnation of the government’s violent response to peaceful student protests, taking to Instagram to voice her concerns about the treatment of young demonstrators.
In her statement posted Wednesday afternoon, Taylor described how students from Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS) schools were “met with tear gas and harassment by the Liberia National Police” during their peaceful march for better education and living conditions.
“The protests by students from state schools under MCSS highlight the pressing issues they face in their educational journey,” Taylor wrote. “This incident is particularly troubling given Liberia’s history of student protests sparking significant political change.”
The former vice president, who served under the previous administration, drew pointed comparisons to historic moments when student activism helped bring down governments, including the regimes of William Tolbert and Charles Taylor. Her statement suggests the current administration risks repeating past mistakes by using force against young protesters.
Taylor questioned the government’s commitment to democratic principles, stating: “The current government’s response to the protests raises questions about their commitment to democracy and the welfare of their citizens.”
The former VP framed the students’ demands as fundamentally reasonable, writing: “The students’ demands for better education, living standards, and opportunities are legitimate and deserving of attention.” She called for dialogue rather than repression, urging officials to “engage with the students and address their concerns.”
In her most direct challenge to the administration, Taylor invoked the current government’s own rhetoric, writing: “This is WHAT THE RESCUE MISSION IS EXPECTED TO DO. NOT ARREST, TEAR GAS, AND HARASS INNOCENT STUDENTS.” The capitalized phrase appears to reference campaign promises of reform and improvement.
Taylor concluded with a call to prioritize Liberia’s future, stating: “It’s essential for the government to prioritize the needs of its citizens, particularly the youth, who are the future of the nation.”
The statement marks one of the most high-profile criticisms of the government’s handling of the student protests from a former senior official. As of publication time, there has been no immediate response from the current administration to Taylor’s remarks.
