The Ghana Police Service has clarified its position on demonstrations, highlighting that it fully supports peaceful protests in all forms.
In a statement signed by ACP Grace Ansah-Akrofi, the Director of Public Affairs of the Police Service, it was explained that the Service has a long history of providing security for demonstrators in previous instances.
After the conclusion of the three-day demonstration organized by the Democracy Hub, the Police expressed their gratitude to the public, particularly those in Accra, for their support and cooperation while the Police carried out their duty of maintaining law and order during the protest.
The Service also expressed appreciation to the organizers for their cooperation during the demonstrations. They expressed their intention to hold a debriefing session with the organizers to foster productive engagements for future demonstrations.
“The Police would also like to apologize to members of the public who were inconvenienced in one way or the other, especially those who were caught up in the vehicular holdups during the demonstration. As the demonstration has come to an end, we look forward to meeting with the organizers for a debriefing session with them with the aim of fostering a more fruitful engagement in the future,” GPS said in its statement.
On Wednesday, September 20, the police filed an injunction application to prevent the group from proceeding with their planned protest.
In response, the group’s leaders insisted on continuing with the protest. However, on Thursday, September 21, the police halted the group from gathering at Jubilee House for defying their orders, resulting in the arrest of 49 members of Democracy Hub. Additionally, a BBC journalist and his cameraman were detained, and Metro TV’s Bridget Otoo was roughed up by the police on Thursday.
Despite these actions, the group continued its protest on Friday and Saturday, but the police blocked them from marching to Jubilee House.
