Princess Fathia Nkrumah, daughter of Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, has lambasted excessive use and show of force by police on #OccupyJulorbiHouse protesters.
She was a part of protesters who showed up for the mass action over the three-day period specifically lamenting cost of living crisis which she said was “worsening.”
She told JoyNews in an interview: “and if that’s not enough reason to be here in the streets, then I don’t know what is.”
She also lamented the run down and precarious nature of the healthcare system stressing that “living in this country for many is impossible.”
On the subject of police force deployed on the day, she stated: “I think that there is a disparity between the protesters and the amount of force that is being use to deter us. Because none of us here is armed. The only thing I brought to this protest is water and myself.
“And if you have entire SWAT teams and water cannons and police that is being reinforced by the hour that is armed, against peaceful demonstrators, then something is wrong,” Princess Fathia surmised.
She is not the only one to have condemned the specific illegal arrest of 49 protesters on Day 1 of the protest (September 21), which incidentally was the birthday of her grandfather.
On September 23, the final day of the three-day protests, protesters attempted to force their way through a police barricade deep into the night and march to the presidency.
This is despite the illegal arrests and police highhandedness that marred Day 1 when police arrested 49 protesters, who were detained for hours on allegations of unlawful assembly.
All of them were later released on bail.
Day 2 and 3 passed without any major incident as police barricaded the main road leading to the presidency, Jubilee House, even before the protesters began their march towards the place.
While Day 2 saw the blocking of one part of the 37-Accra Road, the final day saw the blocking of both sides which meant vehicular traffic was greatly constrained for the better part of the day.
SARA
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Princess Fathia Nkrumah, daughter of Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah