KEY POINTS
- Ghanaian police have increasingly suppressed peaceful protests, using excessive force.
- The arrest of minors and activists during the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protests highlights police brutality and government overreach.
- The suppression of civil dissent risks undermining Ghana’s democratic values and eroding public trust.
Some of the recent occurrences in Ghana have caused a lot of concern on the conduct of the Ghanaian police especially on their treatment of peaceful protests. The actions of the police in arresting people during the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protests and the subsequent arraignment of protesters to court paint a worrying picture of police brutality, government overreach, and the shrinking space for peaceful dissent in the country. This article analyses the current state of the Ghanaian police, and how it has worked to suppress protests and democracy.
The erosion of the right to protest
The right to protest is a freedom enshrined in the constitution of Ghana and other international treaties to which Ghana is a signatory. Nevertheless, the actual situation paints a very different picture. The recent #OccupyJulorbiHouse protests, by the Democracy Hub, were answered with massive police presence. Many people and young people were detained, and there were many testimonies of the police’s excessive use of force according to Ghana Web.
The Ghanaian police appear to have developed a non-tolerance policy for protests with excuse under the Public Order Act. But the law is not a tool employed to stifle the freedom of expression but rather a tool employed to ensure that the protests are carried out with no casualties. This approach to stifling the freedom of expression of the people is well illustrated in the manner in which the police handled the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protestors, by arresting minors and other activists like Oliver Barker-Vormawor and the forceful quelling of protestors who were only voicing their displeasure.
Police brutality and democratic backsliding
Sadly, the use of force during peaceful protests is not a new thing in Ghana. Cases of police misconduct have been recorded over the past several years, but current occurrences seem to be a worse form of police misconduct. The forceful eviction of protesters, and the alleged removal of keys to protestor’s cells as seen during the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protests, shows that there is no accountability in the police force.
This brutality not only deceives the people by painting the police as a protector of the public but also a huge step backwards for the democracy of Ghana. A democratic society supports dialogue, and peaceful demonstrations are one of the ways people express their concerns. Police brutality causes the government to lose people’s confidence and increases the level of hostility between the government and its people.
The implications for Ghana’s civil society
The crackdown of assemblies has significant effects on civil liberties in Ghana. This is because as situations of protest get suppressed by the police more often, activists may be discouraged from demonstrating again. This will make civil society to be silenced and fail to question the actions of the government thus creating a culture of fear.
Also the image of Ghana in the international community could be negatively affected. Ghana which was once described as one of the beacon of democracy in West Africa is having its image soiled by its own security forces. The increased use of force against protestors sends a clear message: discontent will not be allowed. This not only jeopardises the liberties of today’s protesters but also poses a detriment to future generations.
A call for accountability and democratic integrity
The current actions of police in the country are a sure way of undermining the democracy and civil liberties of the people in Ghana. The police must change tactics and stop eradicating the constitutional right of citizens by interfering with peaceful protests. If these practices are not checked, Ghana stands the risk of reversing the democratic credentials it has acquired and push people away.
