‘Deal with violent Arise Ghana protestors’- Group to IGP

A pressure group, calling itself Fixing The Country Movement, wants the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to as a matter of urgency deal with protestors whose actions turned the Arise Ghana demonstration violent on Tuesday.

The group says it is worried about the clash between the demonstrators and police, describing it as an “orgy of violence”.

In a statement, it wants the IGP, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, to take action against the protestors who have been arrested for their role in the chaos.

Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah, a political strategist and convener of the Fixing The Country Movement, who signed the release, said the movement is “appalled at the behaviour of the NDC protestors. It is unacceptable to say the very least, and we expect nothing but heavy-handed approach from the police administration in dealing with the miscreants that have been arrested.”

It expressed grave concern about the conduct of the protestors by disrupting law and order and disregarding police instructions and other laid-down rules.

“We are by this statement asking the Inspector-General of Police to deal ruthlessly with such elements or our membership will also pour on the street to register our protest”, the statement concluded.

Police personnel fired tear gas on agitated Arise Ghana protestors during their demonstration at the Obra Spot near the Kwame Nkrumah interchange.

It is unclear what sparked the chaos at the scene, but some protestors pelted stones at the police and their vehicles.

Police have said they were attacked and said the protestors’ “behaviour is unacceptable and must be condemned.”

In addition to the tear gas, police also responded to the protestors with their water cannons.

Earlier in the day, there was a standoff between the police and protestors over the approved route for the protest.

The organisers of the protest resolved to occupy the precincts of the Kwame Nkrumah Circle fountain over the disagreements with the Police.

The police had been insisting on enforcing the orders of the court for the protestors to move through Farisco through TUC to the Independence Square.

But the demonstrators had wanted to march towards the Ako Adjei Interchange with a view to stopping at the Jubilee house.