The National Media Commission (NMC), the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and Amnesty International Ghana have condemned the Ghana police for arresting and allegedly manhandling protesters who were exercising their democratic rights during the #OccupyJulorbiHouse demonstration on September 21, 2023 in Accra.
In a statement, the Chairman of NMC, Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, noted that the Ghana Police Service cannot use the court to prevent people from demonstrating.
“Once we practise democracy, we must understand that we should not condemn any democratic tool. The people have the right to demonstrate. But the law also requires that, when you want to demonstrate, there’s a need to inform the police, and they will look at all the circumstances, and if they think that it may not inure to the benefits of the country, they can take action,” Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh noted.
His calls were backed by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).
The umbrella body for media practitioners condemned the actions of the police, describing it as “highly unprofessional, absolutely unwarranted and inherently repugnant to press freedom and the dignity of the affected journalists”.
“The GJA is utterly disappointed in the police for lowering the bar of professionalism by arresting and maltreating journalists who did not breach any law but rather breached their comfort on a national hallowed day (Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day) to discharge their cardinal duty of informing the general public about happenings in the country,” a statement released by GJA, signed by the General Secretary Kofi Yeboah on September 22, stated.
Additionally, Amnesty International Ghana, in expressing disappointment on the incident, said the arrest of the 49 protesters belonging to the Democracy Hub, an Accra-based civil society group, is an abuse of their human rights, adding that the police acted with impunity.
“Protesters were unfortunately dehumanised in front of the police station, protesters were arrested. People’s shirts were torn, and I have seen from videos that people were beaten. And this is something that Amnesty frowns upon,” Genevieve Partington, the Country Director for Amnesty International, asserted.
“The right to freedom of assembly and expression is a fundamental human right enshrined in the constitutions of Ghana. And it’s imperative that such rights be respected and upheld without any undue hindrance or harassment,” She added.
The police on Thursday, September 21, apprehended 49 individuals linked to an “unlawful assembly” and violation of the Public Order Act.
The protestors are demanding a better Ghana from the country’s leaders.
