The Ghana Police Service has filed an application at the Accra High Court to block a planned anti-galamsey demonstration being organised by the Generational Rights Protection Society (GRPS), led by media personalities Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah and Kwame Appiah Kubi.
The protest, scheduled for April 28–29, 2025, was set to start at Obra Spot (Kwame Nkrumah Circle), proceed through Ring Road, and end at the Liberation Square, opposite Jubilee House, from 4 PM to midnight.
According to a report by asaaseradio.com, an affidavit filed on April 23, 2025, by General Sergeant Armstrong Ankomah of the Greater Accra Regional Police Headquarters claimed that the organisers failed to respond to a police letter regarding the event and did not provide a permit for using Liberation Square, which is controlled by the Ghana Armed Forces.
The police also expressed concerns that the demonstration’s location and timing could pose security risks, citing intelligence suggesting potential infiltration by “undesirable elements” due to the organisers’ failure to disclose details about expected participants.
The affidavit further argued that the GRPS did not provide convincing reasons for insisting on the chosen venue and late hours.
The police emphasised that the constitutional right to demonstrate is not absolute and that they must respect public safety and order.
They warned that allowing the protest at Liberation Square could lead to violence, compromising public defense, safety, health, essential services, and the rights of others, especially given regional security tensions.
The police have, therefore, requested the court to relocate the demonstration away from Jubilee House, which is the seat of government, and restrict it to between 10 AM and 5 PM on April 28, 2025, to ensure public order and effective policing.
The application is set to be heard on April 25, 2025.
Galamsey, otherwise known as illegal small-scale mining, remains a critical issue in Ghana, causing widespread environmental devastation, including deforestation, water pollution (notably the Pra and Ankobra rivers), and health risks from mercury use.
It also fuels social issues like crime and land disputes.
Despite government efforts, including Operation Halt II and military deployments since 2017, galamsey persists due to economic reliance, lax enforcement, and alleged complicity of officials.
The 2021 ban on mining in forest reserves and near water bodies has had limited impact.
Pressure continues to mount on the John Dramani Mahama government, which assumed power on January 7, 2025, to take critical steps in battling the menace.
The government, on its part, has instituted various measures to battle galamsey even though critics deem the government’s efforts as insufficient.
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