Police presence ensure safe demonstration - Kwesi Ofori

The Ghana Police Service and the Military on Tuesday provided adequate protection to demonstrators of the ‘Interparty Resistance Against the New Voters Register from Kawukudi Park to the Electoral Commission (EC) Head Office.

The presence of the joint security enforcement for the demonstration could be seen along the routes used by the protester from the early hours of Tuesday till demonstrators ended their protest.

At the junction to the EC Head Office, there was a heavy presence of uniformed men who mounted barricades, shields, and security vans and ensured that protestors did not cross the boundary to cause any unforeseen havoc.

Chief Superintendent Kwesi Ofori, Director of Operations, Accra Regional Command, Ghana Police Service said they had provided such security presence to ensure the safety of protestors as well as EC officials.

“We came in our hundreds supported by other security services,” he said.

He said despite the change in route by the demonstrators it was in the interest of the police who engaged in dialogue with the leaders of the group to maintain a peaceful exercise.

“The entire exercise was peaceful; there was no fight between protestors and the men on the ground,” he said.

The demonstration in Accra was the third of a series of protests organised by the group against the creation of a new voter register as proposed by the EC.

The demonstrators were seen clothed in red shirts and dresses, red bands on their forehead and wrist, some carried plaque cards with opposing inscriptions.

Some of the inscriptions on the cards included; ‘New Voters Register is Needless’, ‘Atta Adwoa Jean Mensah Don’t create Problem where there is none’, ‘Nana Drop the Register and pay contractors’ amongst others.

Demonstrators were fired up chanting we are for peace! Drop that register!! While dancing to some jamming reggae music being played over loudspeakers in the main street.