Veteran journalist Kwesi Pratt has criticised the Ghana Police Service for trying to frustrate protesters in the nation by exploiting the legal system.
On June 4, 2022, the FixtheCountry Movement was planning to organise a protest against the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia regime, but the police intercepted them before they could leave.
While the security service was advised to renegotiate with the organisers and allow them to demonstrate but not with the guns and private security along with other ridiculous demands they made, the police received praise from many people because the June 4th demo was believed to be a plot to stage a coup.
Today, June 28, a different organisation named "Arise Ghana" will begin a protest to raise awareness of economic and governmental issues. The pressure group stated in a statement that they would "move through the Nima Police Station street to the Arko-Agyei inter-change and end at the Frontage of the Jubilee House where we will picket until 10PM," but the Police has filed a lawsuit against them in court because of a dispute over the timing and the location.
In the interest of public order and safety, the police pleaded with the organisers to change the time frame so that the demonstration would begin early in the day and end before dusk, but "on June 22, 2022, the Police received a verbal response from the organisers to the effect that they are unable to change the time of the demonstration," according to a police statement.
"The Police have no choice but to present the case to the court for resolution due to the lack of agreement between the Police and the organisers on the time for the protest and location for their planned picketing. On June 20, 2022, a letter was properly sent to Arise Ghana informing them of this "The statement went on to say.
Kwesi Pratt addressed the subject on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show and urged the Police to cease purposefully stopping citizens from participating in protests across the nation.
Everyone has the freedom to protest as long as it doesn't jeopardise the security of the nation, he said.
Mr. Pratt made a police appeal "not to engage in the behaviours that they occasionally choose to conduct. They shouldn't do it this time. They ought to cease purposefully obstructing protesters.
He also urged them to reconsider their position about the Arise Ghana protest.
He said, "I believe it's crucial that this demonstration be permitted to take place, you know, with all the improvements that can be made via conversation between the organisers and the security agencies, notably the Police.