The Economic Fighters League, the group that planned to protest the Ghana-US Defence Cooperation agreement on Friday March 23, have been denied access to the public gallery of Parliament.
The group successfully staged a peaceful walk to Parliament Friday morning however, on reaching the premises, some security personnel prevented them from entering to view the ongoing discussions on the agreement.
The protestors who expressed disappointment at their being locked outside of parliament began chanting the last line of the first stanza of the national anthem, "And help us to resist opressors rule with all our will and might forever more."
Ernest Yeboah, their leader who spoke to the media insisted that their protest was a very peaceful one which only requires that they march to parliament and observe the proceedings in the public Gallery section of parliament.
He added that the security officers did not have “a single law or document that prevents citizens from coming into Parliament to observe proceedings."
“And we are told this is a country of democracy where rule of law is the order of the day,†he questioned.
Responding to the chaos at the premises, MP for Ningo Prampram, Samuel George demanded that the security officers allow the protestors in as their actions don't breach any law.
“Some of us got calls that our constituents have been locked behind the gate…the public gallery is open and I drew the attention of the police to the fact that when the Single Spine was going to be passed and policemen were going to benefit, policemen came here and sat in the public gallery.†he said.
The Group on Tuesday, March 21, publicized their intention of marching and monitoring proceedings in Parliament on Friday to protest the Defence Corporation Agreement which they believe amounts to " selling Ghana's sovereignty"