Convenor of “Hands off Our Hotels” demonstration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has questioned the police why they fired tear gas on the protestors who attempted entrance to the end point of the demonstration.
The police and organisers of the protest had earlier agreed on Christ the King Catholic Church as termination point of the protest. However, al ong the way, the demonstrators were stopped by the police who barricaded the route to the Christ the King church, preventing the people from coming forward.
The development resulted in a scuffle between the police and the protestors where the peace keeping officers fired tear gas and sprinkled some pepper spray on the people.
The act, is what the North Tongu Member of Parliament and organiser of the protest cautioned the police to desist from since none of the demonstrators indulged in any violence.
Speaking with TV3’s Mawuena Egbeta, the MP condemned the police and cautioned them to desist from such treatment on innocent citizens.
Some protestors whom TV3’s Emmanuel Samani had earlier reported of being injured in the process, according to the MP, were rushed to the hospital.
“First of all, let me condemn what the police did. This is a peaceful march. Our people have conducted themselves so well. Look at the thousands who poured out. There were no issues, no violence, nobody came here with a weapon. Why do you fire tear gas at innocent civilians, helpless and hapless?
“Now as we speak, we’ve had to rush a few to the hospital. If anything happens to our fellow citizens, the police hierarchy will pay for it. They will be held accountable. We condemn what they have done and we want to tell them that their duty is to protect us. They cannot take the law into their own hands and intimidate innocent citizens, helpless and hapless citizens who are only performing their civic duties,” he stated.
Ablakwa went ahead to warn the police that: “They shouldn’t try that again. Now we expect that the police will comport themselves.”
