Several Ghanaians, on September 21, 2023 joined the #OccupyJulorbiHouse which was organised by the civil society group, Democracy hub, to express their dissatisfaction with the government’s performance on various issues such as high cost of living, corruption, and press freedom.
Although many have supported the actions of these protesters, others, such as entertainment critic Mr Logic, believe Ghanaian youth are being stupid for allowing themselves to be driven by people’s personal agendas.
Expressing his opinion on the controversies surrounding the protest, however, and acknowledging the right of every Ghanaian to protests, the chairman of Ghana Song Writers Association stated that,
“As much as you have a constitutional right to protest, its not right for you to always be found on the streets protesting.
“Do not allow yourself to be dragged by people’s personal interests and agendas.
People are allowing themselves to be fooled by people’s agendas,” he said while speaking on UTV’s United ShowBiz on Saturday , September 23, 2023.
On his part, the police acted right by preventing the protest from taking place on the first day, as the service’s core mandate is to “protect and serve”.
Hence once it perceives an impending danger or disturbing occurrence, the service has every right to restore calm and maintain order, exactly what they did during the #OccupyJulorbiHouse.
“Then we later point fingers at the police for no reason. What is the core mandate of the police? It is to protect and serve,
“So if you hit the street to protest and the police perceive danger or a disturbance, those who must be held will be held; one’s who will be pushed will be pushed, just as others will be forced to sit.”
“And what is the crime in doing that? First of all, if we didn’t want anyone to protest, nobody would have been allowed anywhere near the jubilee house.
“There’s no way any of them could have gone anywhere close to the Jubilee; as we speak, this is the third year of their protest.
Likening the #OccupyJulorbiHouse to the riots of 1948, where three ex-servicemen marched to Christiansburg Castle in a protest to demand their unpaid war benefits after their fight in World War II.
They were stopped by the colonial police, who shot and killed three of them.
This incident triggered widespread riots and protests in Accra and other parts of the country.
Hence, Mr Logic advised the youth to be circumspect in their dealings and engagement in such protests, as many believe that the only way they can register their displeasure is by protesting.
“Sometimes the youth believe that protest is the way. If you haven’t lived in a violent community, you might think it is a pleasant experience”, he said.