Economic Fighters League leader arrested over George Floyd vigil
The leader of the Economic Fighters League (Fighters), Ernesto Yeboah, has been arrested by police during a vigil against the oppression of African Americans and people of colour.
Mr Yeboah was picked up at 7:30 pm, barely half an hour after the vigil commenced at the Black Star Square in Accra.
About a dozen military and police officers dressed in full gear with weapons stormed the venue and picked up the leader of the fighters.
#AgendExplained This is why #Accrablackout is trending šš¾ https://t.co/RVE2wUiqAo
ā Agenda Explained (@agendaexplained) June 6, 2020
The security officers claim they didnāt have any knowledge of the vigil even though some leaders indicated that the Ghana Police Service was notified in a formal letter.
Mr Yeboah was whisked away in a police van, and the protestors who were not sure of the destination broke into groups and marched to the Ministries Police Station and the Osu police station to request for Mr Yeboahās release.
Police and military came to disrupt a peaceful vigil.#Accrablackout#Blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/eDLF3aPhro
ā #Accrablackout (@afrikanmum) June 6, 2020
The vigil was sparked by the killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American, by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
#AccraBlackout the police keep insisting we space out. Peaceful vigil and the police still come to make trouble. pic.twitter.com/Cr0aM521MP
ā Tiffany Soulbird šļø (@TiffanySoulbird) June 6, 2020
The police officer pinned George to the floor with his hands cuffed and knelt on his neck. George was held in that position for about 7 minutes as he gasped for air, eventually giving up the ghost.
The vigil at the Black Star square proceeded despite the arrest of Mr Yeboah, with scores of people bending a knee and screaming āI canāt breatheā, the last words of George Floyd.
Taking a knee#BlackLivesMatter#Accrablackout pic.twitter.com/WHQzBYWPR3
ā #Accrablackout (@afrikanmum) June 6, 2020
The death of Floyd has sparked several protests across the globe in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, which emerged after a series of brutalities meted out to African Americans.
Several people have taken to social media to condemn the arrest of Mr Yeboah.
This will not be the first time Mr Yeboah has had an encounter with the police as he was arrested on July 5, 2019, for storming parliament and demanding the leadership to drop a proposed 450-seater chamber at a cost of $200 million.
Ghanaians headed to the Police headquarters to see @ernestoyeboah1. Everyone is remaining peaceful like instructed by @EFLFighters leaders. We are a peaceful group of people and we won’t be breaking any law. #Accrablackout#Blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/M3D7HNNPQc
ā #Accrablackout (@afrikanmum) June 6, 2020