Democracy Hub demo: Organisers will be held responsible for any breaches – Police

The Ghana Police Service has served notice to hold organisers of the planned Occupy Jubilee House protest accountable for any breaches of the Public Order Act if they go ahead with their demonstration on Saturday, September 21, 2024.

This comes after a meeting between the police and organisers of the protest, Democracy Hub, ended inconclusively.

The meeting held on Friday morning was to deliberate on the routes for the demonstration scheduled to take place at the Revolution Square, opposite the Jubilee House.

However, the police said the group had refused to change their routes even though their proposed routes would endanger public defence, order, safety, health and the running of essential services.

In a press statement issued on Friday, September 20, the Director of Public Affairs at the Ghana Police Service, ACP Grace Ansah Akrofi, expressed concerns about intelligence gathered regarding the planned demonstration.

The police are worried about reports of planned violence, including the use of weapons, attacks on state officials and parliament members, and vandalism of critical installations.

She urged the organisers to caution their members against these unlawful acts and desist from any attempts to disturb the peace.

“Intelligence so far gathered by the police regarding the planned demonstration suggests that some demonstrators are planning to engage in the following acts that have the potential to jeopardize the peace, security, law and order in the country and some of the activities are defying the order of the courts pertaining to the demonstration and also defying all directions from the police which are in line with the Public Order Act.

“Wielding weapons and wearing of bulletproof vests and helmets, attacking members of parliaments and other state officials, attacking police officers in the discharge of their duties, attacking critical installations including the seats of governments and electric power installations, encouraging their members to get catapults and stones ready and also using motorbikes to create chaos on the roads and inconvenience the public and storming of business centres to cause mayhem among several others.

“We would like to call on the organizers of the protest to caution their members against these unlawful acts, desist from any attempts to disturb the peace and also abide by the Public Order Act 1994 and all other laws in the country since they will be held responsible for any breaches of the law.”