SUP Announces Mass Protests Beginning Today

The Revolutionary Student Unification Party (SUP), in unwavering solidarity with the over 25,000 students of the University of Liberia (UL), has declared mass protests beginning Monday, September 15, 2025, across all campuses of the nation’s flagship institution of higher learning. This decision follows the University Administration’s pronouncement for the resumption of classes without addressing the urgent, non-negotiable demands of students. 

SUP regards this unilateral action as arrogant, pompous, and reckless, reflecting the insensitivity of UL President Dr. Layli Maparyan, whose leadership, the Party says, has been characterized by corruption, incompetence, and utter disregard for the welfare of students. According to SUP Chairman, Sylvester Wheeler, the Party, in recent weeks, held critical engagements with the Speaker of the House of Representatives and members of the Legislature with the hope of resolving student concerns through dialogue. 

Yet, despite these interventions, Dr. Maparyan and her administration have failed to address pressing issues undermining the academic and social life of thousands of students. “Dialogue without action is meaningless,” Chairman Wheeler declared. “Dr. Maparyan has demonstrated contempt for the very constituency she was hired to serve. As such, the students of the University of Liberia, backed by the militant forces of SUP, will take to the streets until her resignation or dismissal is effected. This is not negotiable.” SUP outlined ten core demands that remain unresolved and will form the basis of the planned mass protests: 

1. Immediate Resignation or Dismissal of Dr. Maparyan – for failing the students, faculty, and the State-run University.
2. Reverse the Vacation School Decision – Vacation School must not be treated as a full semester; the upcoming term must be recognized as the second semester.
3. Resolve Add and Drop Issues – Outstanding administrative failures must be corrected, and students’ grades updated promptly on the UL portal.
4. Provide Transportation – Adequate buses must be deployed for students commuting to and from the Fendall campus.
5. Improve Campus Facilities – Ensure functional bathrooms, sufficient seating, and conducive academic spaces.
6. Investigate Illegal Dismissals – An independent committee must probe the arbitrary dismissal of employees.
7. Ensure Transparency – Publish the report that informed the decision to suspend or dismiss staff.
8. Empower University Police – Strengthen campus security to safeguard students, faculty, and staff.
9. Review Employment Practices – Establish fair, accountable, and transparent recruitment and hiring processes.
10. Reconstitute the Board of Trustees – Restructure the Board to align with statutory requirements and standards.

SUP has further signaled that additional grievances may be placed on the table as the protest movement evolves. SUP has called on progressive journalists, civil servants, tricycle unions, street vendors, civil society organizations, and solidarity forces to join in the protest as a demonstration of unity against what it describes as an assault on quality education and the dignity of the Liberian people. The Party emphasized that this struggle is not only about students but about the broader question of accountability in national institutions. 

“When a University President can dismiss workers without cause, ignore students’ rights, and trample on transparency, the implications go beyond the gates of the University of Liberia. This is a struggle for justice, fairness, and respect for the people,” SUP noted in its statement. Beginning Monday, SUP has instructed all students to assemble on the Capitol Hill, Fendall, Sinje, and Straz-Sinje campuses in massive numbers. The Party vowed that the protests will be peaceful but unrelenting, continuing until the demand for Dr. Maparyan’s resignation or dismissal is fulfilled. 

“We are conscious of the sacrifices of generations of militants who fought for free speech, academic freedom, and justice on these very campuses,” Chairman Wheeler added. “The Student Unification Party will never betray that legacy. Our cause is just, our demands are clear, and our resolve is unshakable.” Founded in the 1970s, the Student Unification Party (SUP) has remained the vanguard of student and youth activism in Liberia, renowned for its resistance against dictatorship, corruption, and anti-democratic practices. Today, SUP continues its historic mission to protect students’ rights, defend academic freedom, and champion the voice of the masses.