The arrest of citizens who participated in the #OccupyJulorBiHouse demonstration on Thursday morning has sent shockwaves throughout Ghana, with numerous celebrities and civil rights advocates expressing their dismay over the incident.
The protest, organized by the Accra-based civil society group Democracy Hub, was intended to coincide with Nkrumah Memorial Day and aimed to call on “the President and members of the Economic Management Team to #FixTheCountry in light of the level of economic mismanagement and theft that has engulfed our government from the highest levels.”
However, the Ghana Police Service filed an injunction application on the eve of the demonstration, effectively seeking to halt the protest.
Despite this, demonstrators still gathered at the planned location, resulting in a series of arrests. As of now, the courts have not yet heard the injunction application.
Many prominent figures from Ghana’s entertainment industry have spoken out against the arrests, voicing their concern about the restriction of the citizens’ right to protest.
The incident has ignited a broader discussion about the balance between public safety and the right to peaceful protest in Ghana’s democracy.
Check out what Ghanaian celebrities have posted about the demo below:
MORE: