The Organizers of Occupy Jubilee House Protest have indicated that its protest will continue today despite police arrest and brutalities against protesters yesterday, Thursday 21 September 2023.
In a press statement released on Friday, September 22 2023, titled #OccupyJulorBiHouse Protest Update No. 6, the organizers of the Occupy the Jubilee House Protest indicated that its intended protest will continue till Saturday 23rd September, 2023 as planned.
“Friends, as we prepare to step out for Day 2 of the #OccupyJulorBiHouse, we want to take time out to acknowledge all the several individuals, including lawyers, journalists, social voices, and ordinary citizens who mobilized to provide support to #FixTheCountry and the demonstrators unlawfully arrested”.
Conveners, #OccupyJulorBiHouse Protest
The group also condemned in the strongest of terms the assault on the lawyers, journalists and several other citizens who turned up yesterday to provide support to those who were arrested.
The Lead Convener for the group, Oliver Barker Vormawor indicated that he has taken serious offence on the severe molestation that was meted against the members of the group when arrested and sent to the Accra Regional Police Command yesterday.
“Beyond the arrest and the violent nature of the arrest, the one that I took offence is that all of us were taken to a room at the Accra Regional Police Command and about 17 men whom we were told were intelligent officers, who were wearing ear-rings, dye their hairs, wearing boxer shorts were thrown to us in the room and lock us for them to beat us.
I do not understand how these men who were calling themselves intelligent officers were brought in to beat us; that has to be explained to me”.
Oliver Barker Vormawor
Mr. Vormawor also alleged that the Minister for National Security, Honorable Albert Kan-Dapaah had threatened him that there was no way he would be allowed to organize any successful demonstration in the country and he was therefore not surprised at the turnout of the event yesterday.
According to the Organizers of the protest, it will continue to deplore the selective and intentional silence of the Ghana Bar Association which has not only lost its voice but has also been co-opted in the service of those who have shown every intention to compromise the rule of law and derail Ghana’s democracy.
“We note further their silence even in the face of the assault of junior lawyers who showed up for duty today”.
Conveners, #OccupyJulorBiHouse Protest
The group therefore called on the general public and well-meaning Ghanaians to join and support its protest as it steps out for Day 2 and Day 3 of the #OccupyJulorBiHouse, to sustain democratic activism for change in Ghana.
Lawyers Of The Protesters Accuses Police Of Acting Illegal
Some of the Lawyers who showed up yesterday to provide legal aid to the protesters of the Occupy the Jubilee House demonstration have accused the Ghana Police Service of acting outside the laws of Ghana.
According to Justice Srem-Sai Esq. since November 30, 1993, the rules of public protest have been established as follows: protesters notify the police of their intention and plan to hold a public protest.
He noted that the plan should indicate the protest route, venue, time, estimated number of protesters, etc.; and the police evaluate the protest plan by balancing it against the safety, security and rights of the public, to make one of two decisions, either to agree to provide security for the protest to go on as planned; or suggest an alternative plan to the protesters.
He further argued that where the police are unable to reach an agreement with the protesters on a protest plan, the police may apply to a court for an injunction order against the protest.
“At court, two things may happen: (a) the police’s injunction application may be granted – meaning the protest is disallowed; or (b) the injunction application may be dismissed – meaning the protest is allowed to go on as planned”.
Justice Sram Sai Esq.
He believes the most important thing to note is that the police has no power whatsoever to disallow the protest and such power belongs to the courts only.
According to Mr Sram-Sai however, the police did not have any court orders and they did not claim to have one; they provided no evidence that they even went to court in the first place, they just went on, in absolute disregard for every single law, to attack, brutalize, harass, molest, humiliate, arrest and detain the protesters and anyone who stood between them and the protesters.
He recounted that what happened, yesterday between the Ghana Police Service and the #OccupyJulorBiHouse protesters is an unprecedented low point in our democracy:
“In short, the police just got up, issued a press statement and, then, went ahead to enforce their press statement”.
Justice Sram-Sai Esq.
The group called Democracy Hub has charged President Akuffo Addo and the New Patriotic Party administration for poor economic management and urged better aid for the distressed Ghanaians.
Its protest began yesterday, Thursday 21 September 2023, on the same day that the nation commemorated its first President’s birthday, the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day.
READ ASLO: Minority In Parliament Slams Police For Its Brutalities Against #OccupyJulobiHouse Protest
