NPP's Director of Communications, Mr. Ahiagbah, has condemned the escalation of the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protest into violence, which even resulted in panic.

He lamented that what was intended to be a peaceful demonstration was infiltrated by ‘radical elements’, a situation which has currently resulted in court.

In a social media post, Mr. Ahiagbah expressed his disappointment that, amid these events, the government is being blamed.

He noted that instead of focusing on the serious offence that occurred during the protest, attention has shifted to placing the government under scrutiny.

In the post on his X page, Mr Ahiagbah wrote, “The execution of the protest suffered the infiltration of some radical elements whose participation detracted from the democratic essence of the protest and now has become a matter requiring the intervention of the police and the courts. Somehow, the government is being blamed because critics and reporters, including @larryMadowo of CNN, assume that the protest was as peaceful as expected. The truth is that the demonstration degenerated into violent obstruction on the roads, destruction of public and private properties, and causing panic among road users."

Richard Ahiagbah further urged citizens who embark on protests to adhere to the laws governing demonstrations.

"The right of citizens to protest in a democracy is inviolable and absolute. It’s a tool at our disposal to hold governments accountable. The Democracy Hub’s protest about the adverse impact of Galamsey on the environment enjoys the support of H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the NPP, who have made every effort since 2017 to preserve our water bodies," he added.

Read the full post below:

“The right of citizens to protest in a democracy is inviolable and absolute. It’s a tool at our disposal to hold governments accountable. The Democracy Hub’s protest about the adverse impact of Galamsey on the environment enjoys the support of H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the NPP, who have made every effort since 2017 to preserve our water bodies.

“However, the execution of the protest suffered the infiltration of some radical elements whose participation detracted from the democratic essence of the protest and now has become a matter requiring the intervention of the police and the courts. Somehow, the government is being blamed because critics and reporters, including @larryMadowo of CNN, assume that the protest was as peaceful as expected. The truth is that the demonstration degenerated into violent obstruction on the roads, destruction of public and private properties, and causing panic among road users.

“The police had a duty under the circumstances to maintain peace and order by fishing out the disruptive elements in the ranks of the protesters. They may have arrested an innocent spectator or peaceful protesters. When that is established, the police or the court must act quickly to free such people. Peaceful protests under H.E. Akufo-Addo and Dr. Bawumia Mahamadu were without arrests or brutalities. For instance, the September 17th demonstration by the NDC against the Electoral Commission in Accra saw zero arrests or brutalities because it was peaceful. In our quest to protect and defend the rights of protesters, we must be careful not to overlook their excesses lest we undermine the capacity of law enforcement to secure public peace and order.

“To reiterate, I support the right of citizens to protest, but I also support the position that ‘we must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence’ (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) . Let’s keep it peaceful to deepen democracy and avoid entanglements with the law. It’s possible."

EB/AE