Police ready for “surprise” protests

The Ghana Police Service in less than 24 hours has rescinded its decision to stop all planned demonstration during the African Union Summit.

The acting Public Affairs Director of the Police Service, DSP Kwesi Ofori has told Joy News the police could accommodate groups that would want to stage protests during the African Union summit. But he has advised such groups to formally inform the Greater Accra Regional Police Command to enable them prepare adequately for it.

This is in sharp contrast to what the Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Douglas Akrofi-Asiedu said on Thursday. DCOP Akrofi-Asiedu insisted in an interview with Joy News that the police would follow the Public Order Act and will not allow any individual or groups to protest. He added the police is overstretched and cannot guarantee the safety of the demonstrators.

But DSP Ofori said the police would have to make some concessions due to the international nature of the summit. He however said groups wishing to demonstrate should first inform the police for the necessary arrangements to be made.

A number of civil society groups have planned to demonstrate against the political situation in Zimbabwe, the killings in Sudan's Darfur region and the murder of about 50 immigrants in the Gambia.

Speaking to Joy News' Israel Laryea, DSP Ofori said so far it is only the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) that has informed the police of an impending vigil at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle on Tuesday.

“As to any formal demonstration or protest, no group of persons has informed us about any impending demonstration. But the police has gathered information from the media that some people are planning to embark on demonstration and we would make sure that should there be any surprises our contingency plan would take care of it in a very professional manner and we would make sure that our actions would be in line with other democratic police forces elsewhere,” he disclosed.