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Arise Ghana Demo: It’s good to demonstrate; turning it into violent scenes and attacking police was low point — Mpraeso MP

Social News Arise Ghana Demo: Its good to demonstrate; turning it into violent scenes and attacking police was low point — Mpraeso MP
JUN 30, 2022 LISTEN

Member of Parliament for Mpraeso, Davis Ansah Opoku has said demonstration is a constitutional right to all Ghanaians.

He noted that a situation where the exercise becomes a violent attack on the police becomes unconstitutional.

His comment follows the violent attack that marred the Arise Ghana demonstration on Tuesday.

Mr lawmaker noted that Ghana’s practice of democracy allowed for the venting and expression of displeasure through demonstrations, but it should be done peacefully.

Speaking on the demonstration on Joy News’ ‘AM Show’ today, “We are in a very democratic dispensation where protests or demonstrations for me are critical and necessary tools in allowing people to air their views. I have always maintained that demonstrations are one of the medium where it serves as a point where people can express themselves. So if a group of persons will want to demonstrate for things they think should be done right for me I think it is within their democratic rights.

"Constitution demands that they do that, but wanting to turn that into a very violent scene and want to create scenes, scenes that we will not want to see in our country, taking the law into your own hands and attacking the police, for me those were the low points in their demonstration. They have the right to demonstrate, but I will prefer people taking to the streets and demonstrating than some unscrupulous persons picking arms and trying to destroy the peace in the country."

According to him, per his knowledge and experience in organizing demonstrations, an agreement is always reached between both parties before the scheduled date.

“I have been involved in organizing demonstrations for some time now. I was a member of the Alliance for Accountable Governance and I know how the police relate with demonstrators so to say that it was the police that drew first blood doesn’t sit well with me. I know that before you embark on a demonstration, you sit down with police officers and agree on certain routes. So for you to move away from those routes I think that clearly would be undermining the very agreement you sat with the police and agreed on. If it were to be the military I would be a veteran in organizing demonstrations. I am telling you that you sit down with the police and agree on routes. They cannot deny that fact,” he intimated.

On June 27 and 28, the Arise Ghana demonstration was held to protest the economic hardships in the country.

In what was supposed to be a peaceful demonstration, took a sour turn when demonstrators clashed with police resulting in both policemen and demonstrators sustaining injuries on June 27.

Demonstrators according to the police wanted to use unauthorized routes but were being held back, hence their pelting of stones at its personnel.

Some 29 demonstrators were arrested.

Vanessa Calys-Tagoe
Vanessa Calys-Tagoe

News ContributorPage: VanessaCalysTagoe

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