MONROVIA, Montserrado – After the government assured students at the University of Liberia that it would resolve the registration issues which led to student protests last Friday at the Fendell and Capitol Hill campuses, students again disrupted classes on Monday and prevented the free movement of people and vehicles in the area.

The students were protesting the closure of the registration period for the current semester, which began on September 11 last year. They demanded that the registration period be reopened to allow them to go through the process.

On Monday, about 35 students gathered in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which hosts the office of President George Weah, demanding the resignation of the university’s president, Ophelia Inez Weeks.

Due to the disruption of normal traffic by the rioting students, the Liberia National Police was called to help restore order.

While the officers were approaching the scene of the riot, the students threw stones at them, but they were prevented from fully disrupting traffic.

The students went back into the university’s compound and regrouped. After about an hour, they returned and engaged the officers while chanting various slogans and hurling stones at them.

The officers responded and pushed the rioting students back into the university’s compound.

Without permission from his superiors, the commander in charge would not allow his officers to enter the compound to better engage the students. The situation deteriorated, and the officers began to fire tear gas at the rioting students to disperse them.

Bhofal Chambers, the speaker of the House of Representatives, who had gone to seek dialogue with the students, had his vehicle’s windshield damaged.

The bottom right of the rear windshield of Bhofal Chambers’ vehicle was damaged. Photo: Zeze Ballah

Officers then began searching the bags of students who they met on the university’s campus. Several of them were rounded up.

The Bush could not independently verify whether the students that were rounded up were part of those rioting.

After the students fled the University’s campus, they moved to Jallah Town, erected roadblocks. They were pursued by the officers.

One of several students rounded up the Liberia National Police. Photo: Zeze Ballah

The students were chased to the Jallah Town community where they ran into their hideout.

On Sunday, Norris Tweah, a spokesperson for the University of Liberia, assured the public that the university would digitize and automate its registration system. Additionally, he said the university would provide resources to upgrade its communication technology infrastructure to enable students and faculty to perform their regular academic functions digitally. He said those decisions were taken during an emergency board meeting held on February 3.

Bhofal Chambers on the University of Liberia campus. Photo: Zeze Ballah

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, February 6, the Executive Mansion issued a press release stating that Pres. George Weah had approved additional expenditure “intended to enhance banking operations on the main and Fendell campuses of the University of Liberia to facilitate the late registration of students that missed the earlier deadline.”

The release said the president urged the students to remain calm as he addressed their concerns.

Featured photo by Zeze Ballah