
One would have been forgiven to think it was rather a police demonstration, as the number of police personnel appeared more than the protestors, including NDC MPs and party officers, who showed up yesterday for the “Arise Ghana” demonstration.
In what could be seen as desperate attempts to make up for the low numbers, the protestors rather decided to provoke the police by pelting them with stones, burning tyres, diverting to unapproved routes and being a nuisance to road users, in the hope that police brutalities would happen and make the news.
But, IGP George Akuffo Dampare’s boys and girls remained professional and disciplined, treating the violent demonstrators “with dignity”, as he had instructed them before deploying them yesterday.
The protest, which began at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Accra, saw demonstrators chanting and carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Krom ha ayε hye”, “Mr President, where is our money?” “We are tired of you and your government,” among others.
Appearing frustrated by the level of hooliganism on display, the Police had to deploy tear gas and hot water-canons to control the rowdy protestors.
Police injuries
A statement from the Police said twelve personnel sustained injuries from the attacks by the protestors, while they arrested three protesters for their involvement in the mayhem.
Chief Superintendent Ansah-Ankrofi, who signed the statement, pointed out that without any provocation, the demonstrators began pelting the police with stones. According to her, the twelve officers who sustained various degrees of injuries were initially treated at the Police Mobile Hospitals, and later transferred to the Police Hospital for further treatment.
Meanwhile, a security analyst, Dr. Adam Bonaa, has described the unfortunate event as “an appalling scene” that should not have happened.
He said the protesters could have carried out the demonstration without any attacks on the Police.
“This compelled the police to discharge tear gas and rubber bullets because their lives were under threat. Although the demonstration was okay, the manner it was carried out by the leadership of the group was unfortunate. I hoped that the protest would have been gently done, but it didn’t. The Police was willing to provide protection for any lawful demonstration in the country; the nature of this demonstration was inconsistent with the Public Order Act,” he said.
Disregard for rules
Reports say the demonstrators, violating the rules of engagement, insisted on using unapproved routes. The Police, bent on following the orders a court had given, denied them access, culminating in a standoff in which the riotous crowd decided to stampede the Police.
Organisers of the ‘Arise Ghana’ demonstration had said that the motivation was to protest “persistent and astronomical hikes in fuel prices” and their attendant “excruciating economic hardships on Ghanaians” and the ‘imposition’ of E-Levy on citizens.
Additionally, it accuses government of supervising grabbing of state lands by officials. It is also in protest against increased “police brutalities and state-sponsored killing of innocent Ghanaians.”