#FixTheCountry: Get ready for biggest protest in Africa – Group vows to defy police

A pressure group, Concerned Youth of Ghana (CYG), has lauded the Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday that set aside the High Court order barring the #FixTheCountry demonstration indefinitely.

Although there is another case pending at the High Court to determine whether the street protests that organisers say has been necessitated by harsh economic conditions, corruption and bad governance could take place, CYG said in a statement issued on Tuesday, June 8, that they are mobilising for a mammoth demonstration. 

“With no prejudice to the substantive case pending to be heard on Monday 14th June 2021 at the High Court (Criminal Division 1) Accra, we encourage our members and the general public to get ready for the BIGGEST PROTEST IN AFRICA.

“It is worthy to note that, CYG backs the objectives, aims and vision of the FixTheCountry Movement and has since thrown our unflinching support to this spirited national assignment.

“The Ghana Police Service can arrest and chain us, they can torture and hurt us, they can go ahead and destroy our bodies and imprison even our souls for embarking on a rightful protest as provided by the constitution but they CAN NOT STOP US THIS TIME AROUND,” the CYG statement said.

Despite the Supreme Court ruling that set aside the indefinite order against the protest, a lawyer, Martin Kpebu has explained because there is another motion before the High Court and the convenors have been served, they cannot proceed with the demonstration.

Police are fighting against the holding of the demonstration in court because, according to them, it could be a potential coronavirus super spreader.

READ ALSO: #Fixthecountry protestors still can't hit the streets despite SC ruling- Lawyer explains

However, CYG said in the statement that that excuse is only a ruse to stop the #FixTheCountry campaigners from exercising their rights to protest because recently top persons in government violated a similar order during the funeral of the late former General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.

“Havening witnessed the level of disregard of the Corona virus protocols and broad daylight execution of the President’s Executive Instrument on funeral service by police (security operatives), goverenment officials, politicians, sympatizers and mourners at the buriel service of Mr. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John), we will NOT give in to any COVID-19 excuses any longer.

“It is important to indicate that, as law-abiding citizens and responsible youth who love and cherish the human resources God and our Ancestors have blessed us with, WE WILL OBSERVE ALL COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOL,” the group said.

Meanwhile, the police have issued a statement on Tuesday after the ruling by the apex court to warn the public against participating in any such protests before the High Court rules on the matter on June 14.

Read the full statement by the pressure group, CYG, below.

CYG STATEMENT ON SUPREME COURT RULING: THE REPUBLIC VRS HIGH COURT (EX-PARTE)

The Concerned Youth of Ghana (CYG) is thankful to the apex court of the land for holding the inviolability and sanctity of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.

This unanimous decision by five Justices of the Supreme Court to set aside the High Court order that barred us (FixTheCountry) to hold demonstration indefinitely is a victory for democracy and ordinary people of Ghana. 

With no prejudice to the substantive case pending to be heard on Monday 14th June, 2021 at the High Court (Criminal Division 1) Accra, we encourage our members and the general public to get ready for the BIGGEST PROTEST IN AFRICA.

It is worthy to note that, CYG backs the objectives, aims and vision of the FixTheCountry Movement and has since thrown our unflinching support to this spirited national assignment.

The Ghana Police Service can arrest and chain us, they can torture and hurt us, they can go ahead and destroy our bodies and imprison even our souls for embarking on a rightful protest as provided by the constitution but they CAN NOT STOP US THIS TIME AROUND.

Havening witnessed the level of disregard of the Corona virus protocols and broad daylight execution of the President’s Executive Instrument on funeral service by police (security operatives), goverenment officials, politicians, sympatizers and mourners at the buriel service of Mr. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John), we will NOT give in to any COVID-19 excuses any longer.

It is important to indicate that, as law abiding citizens and responsible youth who love and cherish the human resources God and our Ancestors have blessed us with, WE WILL OBSERVE ALL COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOL.

These are times for REAL CHOICES and not false ones. We are at the moment when our lives must be placed on the line if our nation is to survive its own folly.   

God Bless Our Homeland Ghana.

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