A High Court has granted the Ghana Police Service (GPS) an interim injunction preventing a group calling itself “Justice 4 Ghana” from occupying the precinct of Parliament.
It comes after the group announced its members would indefinitely occupy the forecourt of Parliament from yesterday (Wednesday) as part of its protest against the approval of the 2022 Budget.
The Police Administration said “it has put in place adequate security measures for a planned demonstration by the ‘Justice 4 Ghana’ group slated for Wednesday, December 8, 2021.”
“The leadership of the demonstrators had indicated their intention to congregate at the Efua Sutherland Park and move to the Parliament House to present their petition,” the police indicated in a statement.
It stated, however, that earlier checks conducted by police at both locations revealed that the management of these venues had not been notified.
The statement, signed by the Director General of Police Public Affairs, ACP Kwesi Ofori, said the police took the initiative and secured the necessary approvals on their behalf to enable the demonstrators to congregate at the park and thereafter present their petition to Parliament.
“At a previous pre-demonstration meeting, the group also insisted on picketing at the Parliament House till their grievances were addressed,” the statement explained, adding, “Attempts by the police to get the leadership of the group to change their picketing plan was unsuccessful.”
“As a result, the police applied to the courts to prevent the planned perpetual picketing at the Parliament House. This was necessary to safeguard the security and public health of Members of Parliament, the general public and the demonstrators themselves,” the statement intimated.
“The High Court presided over by Her Ladyship Lydia Osei Marfo (Mrs), has therefore restrained the demonstrators from picketing on the premises or anywhere around the premises of the Parliament House indefinitely,” the police said.
The police assured the demonstrators adequate security would be provided to enable them exercise their democratic right to protest, and entreated all protestors to exercise their rights within the law to ensure an incident-free march.
Security Measures
Security was beefed up in Parliament yesterday as the group said they were determined to picket at the precinct of parliament.
On Wednesday, all entrances to the parliament building, apart from one known as the Protocol Gate, were closed and there was police and other security personnel present there.
By Ernest Kofi Adu