Prime News Ghana

Law students' demo : Police brutality unacceptable - Oppong Nkrumah 

By Justice Kofi Bimpeh
Police clash with law students
Shares
facebook sharing button Share
twitter sharing button Tweet
email sharing button Email
sharethis sharing button Share

Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has described as unacceptable the brutality meted out to law students by the Ghana Police Service during their demonstration yesterday.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah speaking to the issue that has gotten the attention of both traditional and social media in an interview with Citi FM said, "Generally is totally unacceptable that an otherwise peaceful demonstration by people who want access to legal education will end up in the scenes that we saw on television and on social media, it's totally unacceptable. We are in a country where we want more people to get access to education generally and legal education is part of that, we also as a country want freedom and justice and if people want access to education that brings them into the justice bracket to push the course of justice it's well in line.."

" The government also believes the police must also abide by their clarion call which is to protect the service not just for government or one side of the divide but both sides even in a difficult situation.."

READ ALSO: NDC condemns police brutality against law students

 Law students' demo

Some law students who were demonstrating against the recent mass failure at the Ghana Law School entrance exams clashed with the Ghana Police Service at Sankara overpass in Accra.

The Police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse the students who refused to make way for traffic.

For over two hours the situation caused heavy traffic on the Liberation road leading to the Jubilee House. 13 students who were part of the demonstrators were arrested.

The demonstration dubbed '#OpenUpLegalEducation' begun at the Ghana School of Law through to the Ministries and the Liberation road, the protesters stopped at the Ghana Bar Association after they heard that Former President John Mahama was having a meeting with the association.

The demonstrators were halted by the police at the Sankara overpass on the Liberation road, the police stated that they will not allow the law students to proceed to the Jubilee House. The tension became high as the police confronted the law students, they were then dispersed with a water cannon and over 10 of the students were arrested.

READ ALSO: Demo : Law students clash with police, 10 arrested (Photos)

A cameraman with an online news portal Yen, Joseph Glover was also shot with a rubber bullet as he was told to stop filming the police while they were firing warning shots but refused.

Release of arrested students'

The Accra Regional Police Command later released the 13 students who were arrested on Monday, October 7, 2019, for participating in the Ghana Law School demonstration.

The Police say the group embarked on an 'illegal demonstration'. The demonstration dubbed '#OpenUpLegalEducation' was against the recent mass failure at the Ghana Law School entrance exams.

“At about 0830hours, a group numbering about 300 believed to be members of a group of students who failed the entrance exams to the Ghana Law School besieged the entrance to the law school, sat down in the middle of the road thus and preventing a free flow of traffic,” a news release issued by Police Public Affairs Directorate said.

Â