The state of unrest and instability threatening to engulf Sierra Leone over the refusal of the Elections Commission to release voters data for the 2023 elections continued today as President Maada Bio sends heavily-armed security forces to barricade streets to stave off planned public demonstrations, after yesterday’s partial lockdown of the country through a sit-home protest.
Yesterday, Sierra Leoneans adhered to the call by the People’s Power in Politics ( PPP) for a sit-home protest and shops and businesses in some parts of the capital and the provinces were closed ; schoolchildren stayed home and though there were few public transportation out, the streets were empty. But government-supported bloggers showed parts of Freetown and the provinces where business was going on as usual.
The sit-home strike was to have been followed by massive demonstrations this morning, but beginning from last night police and army had taken over the streets in response to threats by President Maada Bio of a crackdown on the planned demonstrations.
However, despite the heavy police and army presence on the streets, a group of protesters with banners , shouting , NO DATA, NO ELECTIONS , came out to demonstrate in what could have inspired other people but they were swiftly arrested by the security.
