- Author, Komla Adom
- Role, Reporting from Accra, Ghana
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Protesters hit di streets on Friday again for Ghana a day afta police arrest protesters den brutalise some of dem on Thursday.
Di protest wia dem call #OccupyJulorbiHouse wan highlight issues of bad governance, corruption, insecurity and economic mismanagement.
Pressure groups come together to form one movement dem call ‘democracy hub’ to put pressure for goment say make e make tins better for di citizens.
Dem plan say dem go hold 3-day protest for di seat of goment.
Armed police personnel arrest at least fifty protesters on Thursday wey dem detain dem for di whole day.
Some of di personnel assault a number of protesters including three journalists.
One of dem, be female TV news anchor.
Bridget Otoo dey stand for gate im front wit oda pipo wey police come dey drag am go inside.
“I just dey stand for der wey di officer commot, he see we all wey e start dey hold me dey drag me inside,” Bridget tok BBC Pidgin.
Im add say, e realize say afta dem push push am, im dress tear.
Na one good Samaritan don give am scarf wey e take cover im body.
“Dem rip off my dress, I never do di police anytin. We just dey stand for here dey ask why dem dey detain di protesters for many hours”.
Bridget also tok say di police assault one of im female reporters.
“For di reporter, dem see say she film di police assault inside di station wia dem bundle am go inside.”
Im add say “dem seize di reporter im phone afta dem hit am.”
BBC Pidgin also witness say police arrest some innocent bystanders wey no be part of di protesters.
One of di conveners den social activist, Bernard Mornah tok journalists outside di police station say “di police don turn unlawful pipo.”
Protester carry placard as dem bone police to demonstrate on Friday
Afta say dem hold di over fifty arrested pipo for di whole day, dia lawyers don secure dia release.
One of dem bi Prince Ganaku.
Im tok say as of 10:00pm Thursday, dem manage ensure di release of fifty six pipo wia police arrest den detain all day.
“We don try our best take ensure say everybody dey free, di police no ask for any complex surety,” Prince add.
Im tok say as far as dem dey concerned di police no get “any case against di pipo dem arrest.”
Wetin dey happun today
For di movement, as far as dem dey concerned, dem go continue di protest.
“We no go allow any form of intimidation to stop our move,” organisers tok for one press conference late into the night.
Heavy police already dey di area where di group bin expect say dem go gather.
At least five police pickups and one bus dey on standby wit over thirty personnel dey wait di demonstrators.
Police position on di protest
Di police say di offense of di protesters dem arrest on Thursday be unlawful gathering and defying police order.
Di service tok say dia “injunction application dey mean say di organisers for no go ahead wit di march.”
In fact, dem go ahead tok say di protesters “dey in contempt of di court” say dem still carry on wit di protest until dia arrest.
But di democracy hub members say di police show “bad faith in di manner dem file di injunction application for court last minute,” afta dem notify di service one month ago of di protest.
Dem also insist say wetin police tok say dem serve dem wit di injunction notice be fake tori.
Article 21 of di kontri’s constitution don guarantee di pipo freedom to demonstrate and assemble.
Wetin di public order act also tok be say make dem notify police not less than five days from di date of any kind demo.
“Unless di court rule on di injunction application by di police say make di pipo no protest, nothing dey stop we from demonstrating,” one of di leaders of di group, Isaac Yeboah explain.
Some celebrities don hop onto di hashtag #OccupyJulorbiHouse wia dem dey condemn how police handle di protesters on Thursday.
Read More: Ghana protests: Protesters defy police, hit di streets for second straight day – BBC News
