A communications team member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ellen Ama Daaku, has described as “hooligans”, participants of the Democracy Hub demonstration who were arrested by the police.
She says the protestors numbering about 50 were arrested because instead of demonstrating to express their concerns, they resorted to misbehaving.
Madam Daaku says they blocked access to healthcare facility and rained insults at those who asked that they granted passage to commuters.
Speaking on the BigIssue on TV3’s NewDay Thursday, September 26, 2024, Madam Daaku said although she acknowledges the rights of the people to demonstrate, the police have to deal with them based on the law if they decide to behave as hooligans.
After describing them as bunch of hooligans in her earlier submission, she said she still stood by it, despite the counter opinions shared by other panelists on the show.
“Every Ghanaian is allowed to demonstrate. It is enshrined in our Constitution. But when you go on a demonstration, you also don’t go and misbehave. You do not block access to a hospital that the general public uses and when we talk about it, you tell us that we are animals so if some of us die, there is no problem and then, when the police arrest you, you come up with, in my estimation, cooked up stories about your supposedly human right infractions.
“I still stand by it, those citizens that went out on Saturday, to go and demonstrate against the issues that you didn’t want, decided to be hooligans and they decided to make all of us, everybody who was using that area that day uncomfortable.
“They decided that they were not going to let people who were going to seek healthcare get the healthcare. And when we spoke about it, they will turn around and come and tell you they also need healthcare,” she stated.
Her comments follow the arrest of some protestors who said the government needed to sit up and stop galamsey to avert the destruction of water bodies and forest reserves.
Government has abandoned the fight against galamsey leaving citizens to stage a protest to draw its attention to the menace which has caused widespread environmental destruction in the country.
Civil advocacy group Democracy Hub, organised a three-day protest against the government which escalated into a clash with the police leading to the arrest of protestors, including a minor, 10-year-old, amid growing unrest over illegal mining and economic hardship.
Many have criticised the police for the manner with which they handled the protestors, with private legal practitioner, Martin Luther Kpebu, calling for the resignation of the IGP.
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