Page 37 - Time Magazine-November 05, 2018

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Young,Meyler said, “Something about the The Oct. 18 demonstrations in final stop, Vice President Jewel How-
way she said it made me uncomfortable, Monrovia included calls to address ard Taylor came out to the street. She
but it was never explicit.” the wider problem of sexual assault began by affirming the message of Presi-
Meyler had also mentioned the ex- in Liberian society dent George Weah, the former national-
change to Spada, the charity officer who team soccer star who the previous day
reported Johnson. In her statement to po- re-assignment to another operator of had called himself “Feminist-in-Chief.”
lice, Spada said Meyler told her she “took the 19 schools run by More Than Me. On Weah withheld judgment of More Than
the accusation as a rumor.” To Young, Oct. 23, More Than Me students assem- Me pending the government probe, but
Spada added that she clearly recalled bled in a counterdemonstration, hoist- called the scandal “indicative of an unde-
Meyler adding, “It wouldn’t surprise me.” ing signs reading KAtIe Is InnoCent niable increase in the incidence of sexual
Meyler apparently did confront and forwarding the argument Meyler violence in Liberia.”
Johnson—on camera, no less. Holden had made before the story’s publication: When Howard Taylor spoke, it was
Warren, an independent filmmaker that the damage done does not erase the with her particular authority as the for-
impressed by Meyler’s selflessness, good works performed. mer wife of Charles Taylor, who before be-
was making a documentary about her But many Liberians had focused their coming President of Liberia was a warlord
and More Than Me. He was shoot- outrage beyond one agency, to take in notorious for maintaining a militia that
ing when Meyler questioned John- broader issues of governance and their included a cadre of child soldiers. Taylor
son about rumors he was “into small society. Among the Forum’s demands was is now in prison for war crimes commit-
girls.” But Warren declined to share dismissal of the official who led the pros- ted during the civil wars that kept Libe-
the footage of the encounter, telling ecution of Johnson. ria in a state of lawlessness for years, and
Young in an email that Meyler “didn’t More than 500 people marched made sexual assault a weapon of war, a
see how it would be in her interest.” through the muggy streets of the capi- practice that is still tolerated in much of
tal for more than hour on Oct. 18, sing- Liberian society.
Release of The fooTage was among ing, blowing whistles and holding hand- “Keep in mind,” the Vice President
the page-long list of demands compiled made signs bearing messages including said, “More Than Me is just the tip of
by the Liberia Feminist Forum after the stop AbusIng us and soRRy Is neVeR the iceberg. There are many issues in our
story was published. They also include enough and FIx the system. At the homes, in our families ...”—KARL VICK
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