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Protesters have turned out in their numbers for the third day of the #OccupyJulorBi House demonstration which started on Thursday, September 21, 2023, led by the group known as Democracy Hub.
Organizers and participants converged early morning on Saturday, September 23, armed with placards to begin their march to the seat of government, the Jubilee House, as was originally planned despite police barricades that have been mounted to prevent passage.
The first day of the protest ended with reports of arrests of some 49 demonstrators by the Ghana Police Service who claimed the protest was unlawful, citing an earlier injunction they had requested from the Accra High Court to halt the event.
Day 2 saw many more Ghanaians join their fellows on the ground including some celebrities who had on the first day maintained their silence on the issue. The protesters carried on undeterred by the heavy rains experienced in Accra yesterday.
Police Statement
On Friday, September 22, the Ghana Police Service issued a statement stating that they had convened a meeting with the leaders of the Democracy Hub Group to table the issues concerning the protest.
Their statement included the classification of the Jubilee House as a security zone, which was why the protesters could not be allowed to advance towards it.
They also indicated that leaders of the demonstration in the aftermath of the meeting agreed to direct the protesters to leave the streets.
“The leaders of the group assured the Police during the meeting that they would hold a discussion with their members to come to a possible compromise as to the venue of the demonstration and revert to the Police.
“The leaders also assured the Police that they would talk to their members to leave the streets while awaiting either a compromise decision between the Police and the demonstrators on an alternative venue or the determination of the matter by the court,” the statement said.
The Protest Continues
Despite the police statement, the protest is currently ongoing as hundreds more join the mammoth crowd calling out the government and demanding accountability from government officials in what they have described as a country marred with corruption and mismanagement.
Check out photos and videos from the scene below:
