Police have arrested 29 protestors who engaged in violence during the Arise Ghana demonstration on Tuesday, June 28, 2022.
The arrest was as a result of the demonstrators’ involvement in the “violent attack” on police officers, a statement from the police service has said.
“The police have arrested 29 demonstrators for their participation in violent attacks on the police and some members of the public, including school children, during the Arise Ghana demonstration in Accra.”
The Ghana Police Service said it is reviewing available video footage of the event and will not hesitate to apprehend all other persons who incited the violence.
In the meantime, “the organizers of the demonstration will be arrested and put before court for the attacks and damage to public property,” the statement added.
Organizers’ position
Leadership of the Arise Ghana movement accused the Ghana Police Service of planting people to pose as protestors and cause mayhem during the Krom AyƐ Hye demonstration.
At a press conference after Tuesday’s protest, a member of the coalition, Rex Omar said “one of the things we found out later is that a gentleman, who was with the police but had dressed as a demonstrator, was the first to pelt stones at the police, in the bid to instigate a reaction from them.”
He noted that members of the coalition are law-abiding and would not do anything to compromise the peace the country enjoys.
“Our members are very peaceful, we hoped that this would happen in a very cordial manner. We never planned for this. That is why all through, we have engaged the police on reaching a consensus on our demonstration.”
Another member, who is also the National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi said the police’s response to the development was only a ploy to discredit the coalition.
“The Police’s response was only a PR gimmick. They sought to paint us as violent members of society. If we had any such intentions to cause mayhem, we would not have given police 20-days’ notice.”
The police had been insisting on enforcing the orders of the high court for the protestors to move through Farisco through TUC to the Independence Square, but the organizers of the protest insisted that they would use another route, which reportedly led to a confrontation between the two sides.
Police said in a statement that 12 of its officers have been left with varying degrees of injury after protestors pelted stones at the police officers assigned to offer protection during the activity.
The police say the attack was “unprovoked.”
The organizers of the protestors say they will continue with their protest on Wednesday.
