Scores of supporters of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), dressed in red and black, gathered at the Supreme Court in Accra today, Thursday, August 6, morning to kick off the party’s “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration.
The protest, which is expected to end at the Jubilee House, has drawn a heavy security presence, with police officers deployed along the approved route to maintain law and order and manage traffic.
The demonstration is expected to pass through key parts of the capital, including Ridge and the Ako-Adjei Interchange, before organisers present petitions to the Judiciary, Parliament and the Presidency.
Ahead of the protest, the NPP suspended its Greater Accra regional campaign activities to enable party executives, parliamentary candidates, supporters and sympathisers to fully participate in the demonstration.
The party says the march is intended to highlight what it describes as growing threats to Ghana’s democracy, including alleged restrictions on free expression, the treatment of opposition voices and concerns over the independence of state institutions.
The demonstration, however, is taking place on a day that carries deep national significance.
Thursday, August 6, marks exactly one year since the military helicopter crash that claimed the lives of several senior government officials and security personnel, an event widely remembered as one of Ghana’s darkest national tragedies.
While the NPP has proceeded with the protest, some members of the public have questioned the timing, arguing that holding a major political demonstration on the anniversary of the tragedy may be insensitive to the memory of the fallen heroes and their families.
Despite the debate, party supporters continue to assemble in large numbers, waving party colours and chanting slogans as the procession prepares to move from the Supreme Court to the Jubilee House under the hashtags #DemocracyUnderAttack, #JusticeforWontumi, among others.
