Baako chides Accra protesters for breaching demo rules

Editor in Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper is hailing Thursday's nationwide demonstration by organised labour as a huge success but chided the demonstrators in Accra for deviating from the original routes agreed with the police.

Kweku Baako Jnr said the high level of professionalism by the police averted chaos but stressed "we cannot guarantee" that it will not degenerate in future demonstrations.

Thousands of workers reeling under harsh economic conditions went on the streets Thursday to vent their anger and frustrations for what they termed killer economic policies by government.

The demonstration was organised nationwide with the Accra demo registering the highest turnout.

The demonstrators agreed with the police to converge at the Hearts park where they will be addressed by the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress, Kofi Asamoah after which a petition will be given to the Employment and Labour Minister.

The demonstrators after walking through the major streets in Accra, chanting and brandishing placards decided not to converge at the Hearts Park as agreed early on with the police and chose the Independence Square as their new point of convergence.

Even though the police initially resisted the decision, they gave in after minutes of verbal confrontation with some leaders of the demonstration.

The demonstrators, appeared to have won a tussle with the police, running amok in the direction of independence square they were later addressed and petiotion presented to the Minister.

Discussing the demonstration on Joy FM's Newsfile programme, Saturday, Kweku Baako Jnr said the demonstration was a "good day for the country's democracy."

He said it also indicated the police's capability to handle nationwide demonstration, even though they have in time past failed to police similar demonstrations even by relatively smaller groups.

The Editor in Chief did not fail to query the organisers of the demonstration for breaching the Public Order Act by deciding to change the route.

He said a similar thing happened with the Occupy Flagstaff House demonstration in which the demonstrators decided to picket at the precincts of the Flagstaff House even though it was originally agreed that only leaders of the demonstration will go to the Flagstaff House to present the petition.

"We should not rationalise deviations from agreed routes," he said adding "when they take to the table on routes they must stick to it."