Professor Gyampo, an Associate Professor and lecturer at the University of Ghana, has intimated that the just ended FixTheCountry demonstration should help change the derogatory perception people have about the youth.
Speaking on the conduct of the protestors, he indicated that it will help in also changing the violent mentality people assume demonstrations to have. He added that he was impressed with the way the demonstrators conducted themselves.
“So generally, this particular demonstration,;I will say, should be one that will help erode the derogatory perception that people have about young people. They’ve demonstrated without any hitch and I think that should be commended. So far, they have demonstrated that they are people who are not partisan.”
Professor Gyampo
However, he lamented on the use of the placards to portray certain messages which he described as insulting. He said although it doesn’t devalue the demonstration,; there are some of the things written on those placards that people could have been more cautious and more circumspect about.
“First of all, what are written on placards are supposed to be read anonymously. Over the years,;I am sure from independence placards have carried things which cannot be said publicly;but they carry messages that reflects people’s sentiments.
“I think they have been like that;but my appeal is that if they contain things that are so insulting and things that are not in consonance with our own values and etiquettes,;we should minimize those things. Let us note this,;there are so many mechanisms for channeling messages in a democracy. We have petitions, we have protests, we have writing letters, phone in programs and then demonstrations.”
Professor Gyampo
Demonstrations should be decent
Touching on security and approval of demonstrations, Professor Gyampo averred that, demonstration should be normal and decent and not one that “sends shivers down the spine of both citizens and the Police.”
He also stated that the Police Service has been lazy in discussing the process with the demonstrators to ensure its smoothness and to also get their corporation.
“They will quickly go to court and go get restraining orders. I am saying that it is laziness and it doesn’t make the regime in power look too good. Because if the Police will not look at their own relational competence in relating with the leaders of the demonstration in a manner that will make them feel okay, then I don’t know.
“You dialogue with them and not quickly go to court. Now they’ve done this and there was no mayhem, nothing went wrong apart from the placards which had some content felt were not respectful. They’ve spoken their mind, they’ve gone on demonstration, whatever they want to say, they said it and there was no event [chaos].”
Professor Gyampo
Do not frustrate demonstrators
Professor Gyampo therefore suggested that the Police forces and other authorities should not be so eager to frustrate people who want to demonstrate.
“Let’s dialogue with them and let them know when you think that you might not have protection for them. And the demonstrators must also know that the days that we live in they don’t have to rowdy and destroy property.”
Professor Gyampo
