Following violent activities by some demonstrators, the Arise Ghana “krom ay3 hye” demonstration, which was intended to be peaceful today, has descended into mayhem.
A few of the group’s leaders were in court yesterday to confront the police about a deadlock about the logistics of the two-day demonstration that was scheduled.
Yesterday, Justice Comfort Tasiame, who presided over the case at the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court, partially approved the Police’s request and instructed protesters to gather at Obra Spot, travel via Farrisco Avenue to TUC, and terminate their demonstration at the Independent Square.
The court further ordered that the planned protest begin at 8 am and stop at 4 pm.
At noon today, the Arise Ghana group began their protest after filing an appeal and a Stay of Execution on the court’s decision.
While everything went off without a hitch, things have been chaotic in the last hour as a result of protesters choosing to take the alternate routes.
After failing to break through the Police’s defenses, some furious protesters turned to throwing stones at them, and some of those stones succeeded to shatter the windows on certain Police buses.
Tear gas was deployed by the police to disperse the gathering and they were successful in apprehending some of the most aggressive protestors.
As of the time this report was submitted, the Police had been successful in holding their ground and preventing the demonstrators from following the prohibited route for the rally.
