The park is said to have been closed
A skateboard park located in Accra, and which is the city’s first community-built park, has been indefinitely closed.
The park, Freedom Skatepark, was one of the few places the Vice President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris, visited on her state visit to Ghana in March 2023.
According to a tweet by a verified page, BlacVolta, on Twitter, it stated that the park had been closed due to a land dispute.
“Accra's first community-built skateboard park, Freedom Skatepark has been closed indefinitely due to a land dispute that has put the park's future in jeopardy.
“The dispute arose after a party claimed ownership of the land where the skatepark is located and allegedly started building a wall to block access to the site without notice or explanation,” the tweet said.
The tweet added that the owner of the park had to take to social media to appeal for help on how to get his park safe from the intrusion from people.
“The owner of Freedom Skatepark, @Rooky_Rider, took to Instagram to call for help from the community, asking for contacts to help save the skatepark, as well as ratings on Google and donations to pay for legal fees.
“The closure of the park has caused concern among skateboarders and the local community, who see the park as an important space for youth engagement and healthy activity,” it added.
Another tweet, credited to Rightify Ghana, it showed a news clip from TV3 where it was reported that this venue was stormed by an anti-LGBTQ+ group, claiming that the place has been “disguised in the name of skating” but serves as a headquarters for the gay community in Ghana.
The tweet added that the anti-gay group, known as the Islamic Youth for Peace, has called on the police to swoop in on the venue at Shiashie.
"You see it look innocuous; it doesn’t look like a place that is a headquarters, but all manner of things are done here. When the American vice president came, she came here, the Ambassador of the US always frequents here and you won’t understand.
“They are using our children, disguising in the name of skating, and they are catching them young, and inducting them into that abominable trade,” Saka Salia, Spokesperson for the Islamic group, said.
It is unclear what next steps would be taken by owners of the park to get it restored, if that possibility is available.
See a photo of the park after it was intruded, and a video of the takeover works at the venue below:
#BVNews : Accra's first community-built skateboard park, Freedom Skatepark has been closed indefinitely due to a land dispute that has put the park's future in jeopardy.
— BlacVolta (@BlacVolta) May 7, 2023
The dispute arose after a party claimed ownership of the land where the skatepark is located and allegedly… pic.twitter.com/UKH6JHi4Bu
???? BREAKING NEWS
— Rightify Ghana (@RightifyGhana) May 8, 2023
Anti-LGBTQI group has stormed a facility at Shiashie, near East Legon, which they claim to be "disguised in the name of skating" but is an 'LGBTQ headquarters' to recruit children into homosexuality.
The 'Islamic Youth for Peace' has called for a police swoop. pic.twitter.com/nH17cbJ7zH
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