The Accra Regional Police Command says it cannot provide protection for the planned ‘March for Justice’ demonstration by the youth wing of the opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC.
According to the police, although it acknowledges receipt of the group’s letter, it “cannot provide the needed security during the intended demonstration and street protest” due to existing COVID-19 restrictions.
The NDC youth wing had notified the police that it will organize a street protest dubbed ‘A March for Justice’ on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, to demand justice for all persons killed or brutalized by the various security agencies in the country.
In a letter written to the Inspector General of Police, the NDC youth wing said it was writing to the police in accordance with the Public Order Act (491).
But the Regional Police Command’s explanation in rejecting the group’s request referred to Section 4 of the Public Order Act 1994 (ACT 491) particularly concerning public health.
“Restrictions imposed by the Executive Instrument (EI) 395 to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic have still not been lifted”, the police stated.
“The protest is to demand justice for all persons killed and brutalised by state-sponsored thuggery and or adventurism by police and military forces”, the youth wing noted in their earlier statement.
The party’s youth wing said the protest was also to demand social justice for the unemployed in the country.
One chapter of the protest was to begin from Madina, while three other chapters were to start from the Central Business of Accra, Osu and Lapaz through the principal streets of Accra.
All four groups would have converged on the Jubilee House to present a petition to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
A similar petition was to be presented to the IGP at the Police Headquarters and the Speaker of Parliament at the Parliament House.
The NDC has condemned what it calls state-sponsored brutality against Ghanaians.
The party’s planned demonstration is on the back of the killing of two residents of Ejura in the Ashanti Region, killed by some military personnel deployed to disperse a crowd protesting the killing of a social activist in the area.
