Police Planted Stone Throwers To Mar Kurom Ay3 Hye Demo-E/R Comm Officer NDC

Eastern Regional Communications Officer of the NDC, Darlas Ampomah Williams has alleged the police had a predetermined agenda to disrupt the *Kurom Ay3 Hye* demonstration staged by the Arise Ghana Movement last Tuesday as they brought in stones to mar the beauty of the exercise.

According to him, the story of demonstrators pelting stones at the police is untruth as per the attitude put up by the police prior to the demonstration, they (police) could be behind the act just to demonstrate the protesters were rowdy.

The police had earlier sought a court order to stop the Arise Ghana group; organisers of the Kurom Ay3 Hye demonstration on the time and location as they planned to demonstrate infront of the Jubilee House at night.

The court subsequently ruled the protest could be held only 8:00am in the morning to 4:00PM; converging point being Obra Spot and ending at the Independence Square.

On the day of the demonstration, participants converged at the Obra Spot getting ready for the march.

However, chaos broke as the police and the marchers had a disagreement with the route to use as the police were against the decision by the protestors to use the ring road through to the Jubilee House.

The protestors according to reports pelted the police with stones whiles the police in exchange resorted to the firing of tear gas and the use of water canon to disperse the crowd.

Speaking with Asempa FM’ Osei Bonsu on Ekosii Sen, Darlas William who partook in the demonstration denied reports that the protestors pelted the police with stones.

He alleged the police planted people amongst the demonstrators to cause chaos to create the impression that, the demonstrators were violent.

”They started using water canon and firing tear gas as soon as we made an attempt to move. You could see stones on the ground; clearly, stones brought in by the police to mar the peaceful march.

I won’t be surprised the police planted people amongst us to pelt stones to create the impression we are violent because from the onset, the police demonstrated they were against the march,” he said.

He expressed disquiet over the attitude of the police since it can no longer be said to be a “Service With Integrity.”
How can a police officer fire tear gas on a Ghanaian who feels cheated by the system and is expressing his or her displeasure through demonstration? No one pelted the police with stones unprovoked; ostensibly the stones were used as a reprisal attack as the police brought it themselves.

I personally had to take cover at the Tiptoe Lane as the police were firing tear gas indiscriminately at both demonstrators and passers-by. Is this the police we use tax payers’ money to pay? he quizzed.