Arise Ghana: Court orders organisers to protest from 8AM to 4PM

The High Court in Accra has ordered Arise Ghana to organise its planned street protest between 8 am and 4 pm.

In a ruling Monday (June 27, 2022) the court presided over by Justice Comfort Kwasiwor Tasiame also ordered that the protest march should begin from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle through Farisco to the Trades Union Conference (TUC) building and finally to the Independence Square after which a representative from the Office of the President may receive the group’s petition if it had one.

Arise Ghana had planned street protest in Accra and had wanted to start at 3pm on June 28, take a break at 10pm and resume the following morning, June 29, 2022.

The protesters had planned to picket at the precincts of the presidency at the Jubilee House into the night.

But the Police opposed that plan and insisted that the security situation in the sub-region was not conducive for such a protest in the night at the precincts of the presidency.

The police, therefore, filed an injunction at the Accra High Court and asked the court to direct the organisers to commence the protest march at 10 a.m and end at 3 p.m.

Among other things, the police also asked the court to direct the organisers to commence the protest at the Obra Spot and end at the Independence Square.

However, counsel for the organisers, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, argued in court that the police had failed to demonstrate any instance where acts of terrorism happened after 3 p.m.

Counsel further argued that the there had been instances where demonstrations had been held in the evening.

However, the presiding judge who partially granted the police directives, said at the time, terrorism was not rife.