Photos: Protestors against US-Ghana military deal locked out of Parliament

Protestors against the US-Ghana Defence Cooperation Agreement have been locked out of Parliament.
The group calling itself Economic Fighters League had staged a peaceful walk to Parliament on Friday morning where legislators are looking at a possible ratification of the agreement but were prevented from entering the premises.

Joy News’ Maxwell Agbagba was with the protestors who complained about being tossed from one place to another by security personnel.
The protestors who insist their action is a peaceful one, are unhappy with the manner in which they are being handled.
One of the protestors who spoke to Maxwell said “in the name of democracy they have fleeced this country, in the name of democracy, they have cheated us. Young people in this country are the most cheated and short-changed in this country.”
“We as fighters do not want this country to go the way it went several years ago, so we need to stand up,” another said.
Chanting repeatedly the last line of the first stanza of the national anthem, ‘And help us to resist oppressors rule with all our will and might forevermore,’ the protestors demanded that they are allowed into the House to observe proceedings.

Incensed at being prevented from an act that is not illegal or against the law, leader of the group, Ernesto Yeboah said the security officers have not “a single law or document that prevents citizens from coming into Parliament to observe proceedings.”
“And we are told this is a country of democracy where rule of law is the order of the day,” he queried.
But the protestors are not the only unhappy people.
Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel George who did not understand why his constituents – some of whom are part of the protestors – are being denied entry, demanded that the security personnel allow the protestors into the chamber.
“Some of us got calls that our constituents have been locked behind the gate…the public gallery is open and I drew the attention of the police to the fact that when the Single Spine was going to be passed and policemen were going to benefit, policemen came here and sat in the public gallery.”
Mr George says it is wrong to prevent the protestors from entering the House and demanded that the police open the gate.
Joy News’ Joseph Opoku Gakpo who is in Parliament reports that one gate has been opened and the protestors are being allowed in one after the order.