The Ghana Police Service has issued an apology to the public, particularly those in Accra, for the vehicular holdups that occurred during the recent #OccupyJulorbiHouse protest.
In a statement released following the conclusion of the three-day demonstration, the Police expressed their gratitude to the public for their support and understanding while the authorities worked to maintain law and order during the protest.
The statement read, “Following the end of the three-day demonstration by the above-mentioned group, the Police would like to express gratitude to members of the public, especially those in Accra, for their support and understanding while we worked within our mandate to maintain law and order during the demonstration.”
They recognized the disruptions caused by the protest and expressed their commitment to addressing such issues in the future.
“As the demonstration has come to an end, we look forward to meeting with the organizers for a debriefing session with them with the aim of fostering a more fruitful engagement in the future,” the statement continued.
“We would like to assure the public once again that the Service is not against any person or group of persons who may want to demonstrate. We have a track record of providing security for demonstrations in the past and would continue to do so within the confines of the law,” the statement stated.
On the last day of the three-day #OccupyJulorbiHouse protests, protesters attempted to force their way through a police barricade deep into the night and march to the presidency.
This is despite the illegal arrests and police highhandedness that marred Day 1 when police arrested 49 protesters, who were detained for hours on allegations of unlawful assembly.
All of them were later released on bail.
Day 2 and 3 passed without any major incident as police barricaded the main road leading to the presidency, Jubilee House, even before the protesters began their march towards the place.
Whiles Day 2 saw the blocking of one part of the 37-Accra road, the final day saw the blocking of both sides which meant vehicular traffic was greatly constrained for the better part of the day.
