Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, did not address the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protestors during the London edition on Friday, September 29.
The Ghanaian expatriates living in the United Kingdom had organized their own version of the demonstration that had taken place in Ghana about a week earlier. Their protest aimed to express their dissatisfaction with the state of affairs back in Ghana.
In a video widely shared on social media, the group assembled with megaphones to amplify their concerns. They also prominently displayed placards to reinforce their positions. Some of the placards bore messages such as ‘Arise Ghana Youth,’ ‘Corruption is undermining Ghana,’ and ‘Resist oppressive rule,’ among others.
Dozens of protestors chanted on the pavement in front of the government building to draw attention to their grievances.
Several hours later, High Commissioner Papa Owusu-Ankomah was observed exiting his office and heading towards his vehicle. A few of the protestors attempted to engage him in conversation, but their efforts were met with no response.
“We came to meet you. Sir talk to us before you leave,” one of them demanded.
Another angry protestor was heard saying “you should be ashamed of yourself,” while the official was shepherded into his car by London police.
The protest initially occurred in Accra, spanning from September 21 to 23, during which several individuals were apprehended on the first day.
Over the course of the three-day continuous demonstration, protesters came close to reaching the seat of government, the Jubilee House, but were deterred by a police barricade.
Approximately 50 individuals who had been arrested on the first day were subsequently charged and released to rejoin the protest. This move came in response to widespread criticism from citizens who accused the police of using excessive force against some of the demonstrators.
The police, however, refuted allegations of mistreatment, maintaining that their actions were aimed at upholding law and order. According to their injunction suit, which had been served on the organizers, the protest was not authorized to proceed.
The focal point of the demonstration was the protesters’ dissatisfaction with the government’s economic management and the resulting hardships experienced by the Ghanaian populace.