Police Whip Otchere-Darko…Fire Gas Canisters At & Arrests EC Picketers

Members of Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA), Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) and Movement for Change (MFC) who participated in Wednesday’s planned picketing at the premises of the Electoral Commission (EC) calling for a new voters register, were literally whipped into line whiles scores of them were arrested when they attempted deviating from prior approved routes.

Peacefmonline.com can authoritatively confirm that the police fired over twenty tear gas canisters at the deviant demonstrators to cow them into submission.

Akwasi Agyemang, a sub-News Editor at PeaceFM, who was covering the planned demo, reports that the police, clad in full riot gear resorted to brute force by using horse whips, batons as well firing tear gas canisters and water cannons on the demonstrators for allegedly using unapproved routes in their march.

An Accra Circuit court on Tuesday granted an order from the police restraining the organisers – LMVCA, AFAG and MFC – from picketing the Parliament House and Electoral Commission (EC) on Wednesday 16th September, 2015.

The court further ordered that the organisers converge on Accra Hearts of Oak Park, and present their petition after having marched from Obra Spot to Hearts of Oak Park.

But reports say, some of the demonstrators attempted to deviate from the planned route to the Electoral Commission to demand a new electoral roll, resulting in the police resorting to such crude methods.

According to Akwasi Agyemang, he witnessed three women being rushed to the hospital after inhaling toxic fumes from the gas canisters fired.

“….a leading member of the party the New Patriotic Party, Gabby Otchere-Darko was severely whipped on the back by the police by joining the crowd who flouted their authority…the police suspect he is part of the group attempting to use unapproved routes….,” he narrated.

More soon….