A statement from the Ghana Police Service on Sunday has suggested that the Arise Ghana Demo, which was to be held on 28th and 29th June, seems to have hit a new hold-up.
The statement, signed by Chief Superintendent Grace Ansah-Akrofi, Director of Public Affairs, said that after several meetings between the group and the police, they couldn’t reach a consensus as to the time and location for the demonstration.
As a result, according to the statement, the police have sought interpretation from the court and the hearing will be held on the 27th of June.
“Due to the lack of agreement between the organisers of the demonstration and the police on the time and location for the planned picketing, the police have had no option but to submit the process to the court for a determination,” the statement affirmed.
It noted further that the decision to go to court has since been communicated to the organisers.
The group, which has its key leadership in PNC’s Bernard Mornah, journalist Kwabena Bobie Ansah, and Executive Director of ASEPA, Mensah Thompson, had earlier announced that it had received the approval of the police to embark on its two-day demonstrations slated for June 28th and 29th, which was previously set to be continuous for the two days. But after meetings with the police, they agreed to embark on it for two separate days, ending the first on the 28th and continuing with the second the following day.
On the other hand, the statement from the police lends credence to the seeming lack of consensus between the two parties as to the time frame for the demonstration, which supposedly will travel into the night.
The police’s current disagreement, according to their statement, stems from the time the day-1 demonstration will end, which is 10 p.m. On June 22, it again tasked the organizers to reconsider the time, citing public order and safety. However, the organizers had refused to give in, thereby resulting in the police’s decision to proceed to court.
