PATROL REPORT
On 12
December 2012 at 15.25 the Bong
County Police received a telephone
call reporting a roadblock in the area
of Gbanga (Grid reference 115/125). Police patrol Bravo-2 responded to the scene, arriving at 16.00 hours, finding a large number
of people gathered on the
Gbanga Highway. There was a barricade formed on the highway
made of rocks, stones, and
wrecked cars. The mob was shouting, throwing
stones, and fighting against several soldiers of Armed Forces of
Liberia (AFL). As a response to this situation, at 16.30 hours, the Liberian National Police (LNP) and United Nations Police
(UNPOL) including United
Nations Formed Police
Unit (FPU) were deployed to the scene
with orders to clear the road. As soon as the road had been cleared
by the police, the protesters built up another barricade across the
highway. At 18.45 hours, after some clashes, deployed police forces managed to
disperse the rioters and the highway
was reopened. No arrest was made, and no major injuries reported. The
police estimated the number of protestors to be approximately five hundred.
FOLLOW-UP REPORT# 01
Reference
is made to the incident reported on 12 December 2012. The investigation regarding the unrest was launched by the Bong
County Police. It revealed that the rioters were predominantly angry youth who
joined commercial motorcyclists, all members of the Iron Gate Community.
They launched the protest in response to an incident involving a motorcycle
taxi driver and an AFL soldier. This incident took place the same day but
shortly before the riots, around 13.30 hours. Reportedly, a young female hired a taxi motorcyclist, a
member of Iron Gate Community in
Gbanga, to drop her at her
house. Upon arrival, however, she refused to pay for the ride. As the taxi
driver insisted on payment, the female passenger called her
boyfriend, an AFL soldier, who
arrived at the scene and attacked the motorcyclist. He beat him up and left him
on the street unconscious and bleeding. Then, the perpetrator and his girlfriend ran away from the scene. The
victim was rushed to the hospital after an anonymous phone call was made to the emergency services.
FOLLOW-UP REPORT# 02
Reference is made to the incident that occurred
on 12 December 2012. On 13
December 2012 investigators of the
Bong County Police identified six persons who allegedly took part in the roadblock
of Gbanga Highway after reviewing the
video files of the riots recorded by
the police. The LNP police officers, who had
been assaulted by the mob at
the scene, also recognized the attackers. Their identity was established on the
basis of intelligence gathered by investigators. All the suspects were arrested
and questioned by the investigators. They
confessed to attending the protest but denied attacking the police officers. A
prosecuting judge authorized the suspects to be charged with assault of the
police officers and participation in an illegal gathering. They were held in
the Bong detention center.
FOLLOW-UP REPORT#
03
Reference
is made to the case reported on 12 December 2012. Police investigators
established the victim of the AFL soldier
attack which triggered the unrests and the roadblock on Gbanga Highway. He
was identified as 25-year-old Mr.
Joshua Bundu, a member of Iron Gate Community living
on 25 Ribbon Street in Gbanga and working as a motorcycle taxi driver. After
the assault, he was transported to the Gbanga
Municipal Hospital. The medical examination revealed
that he had a cut on his left shoulder and forehead.
No other injuries were discovered. After delivery of first aid by the doctors,
he was released from the hospital.
FOLLOW-UP REPORT# 04
Both
local and nationwide media reported the unrests which occurred on I 2 December 2012 in
Gbanga. It was reported that the protest was targeting AFL soldiers. The media
emphasized that the Iron Gate Community decided to protest on the
street to attract the attention of the government and to make them address the
behavior of AFL soldiers and their impunity
over recent reported assaults against local citizens. Journalists stressed that recently there were
five similar assaults reported to the police in connection with the AFL. In none of these cases was there a suspect established, convicted, sentenced,
or punished. According to the commentators. This situation made a
clear message to society that AFL soldiers are above the law.
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