What took of as a peaceful protest; with the protesters standing the police in the scorching sun for about five hours, turned chaotic after the demonstrators unleashed violence on the police for refusing to allow them to use unapproved routes.
They pelted the police with stones and other dangerous objects, leaving12 police officers sustaining varying degrees of injuries. Some police vehicles were also damaged.
The police’s only crime was that they had been insisting on enforcing the orders of the high court for the protestors to move through Farisco through TUC to the Independence Square, in Accra, but the organizers of the protest insisted that they would use another route, which reportedly led to a confrontation between the two sides.
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The Ghana Police Service has subsequently vowed to ensure that persons involved in the Arise Ghana demonstration that turned violent on Tuesday evening are brought to book.
It said in a statement that 12 of its officers have been left with varying degrees of injury after protestors pelted stones at the police officers assigned to offer protection during the activity.
According to the police, the action of the demonstrators was “without provocation.”
“Unfortunately, and without any provocation, the demonstrators began pelting the police with stones. So far, 12 police officers who sustained various degrees of injuries and were treated in the Police Mobile Hospitals have been transferred to the Police Hospital for further treatment. Some police vehicles have also been damaged… We wish to assure the public that all those involved in this violent demonstration will be brought to face justice,” a statement from the police said.
Reports indicated that some police vehicles were destroyed in the process, while some protestors were left injured from the use of water cannons and tear gas by the police.
The organizers of the protestors have planned to stage the demonstration for two days– Tuesday and Wednesday. It is however unclear if the protest will be staged on today.
Read the full unedited police statement below:
Stay tuned
By Our Monitoring Desk
