#FixTheCountry demo: Protests are not a big deal, govt shouldn't be afraid - Prof Gyampo

Popular Political Scientist and social commentator, Professor Gyampo has asserted that demonstrations are not a big deal, and must not, therefore, send shivers down the spines of anyone, especially persons in power.

He explained that demonstrations are legitimate democratic ways of expressing dissatisfaction with the government, stressing that the resort to demonstrations must not “create political pandemonium”.

His comments come in the wake of the peaceful and largely successful nonpartisan #FixTheCountry demonstration held August 4, 2021 in Accra.

“…Demonstrations aren’t illegal and they shouldn’t send shivers down the spine of anyone, particularly those in Government and the Police. They are part of the democratic mechanisms for expressing dissent, and this is good, as it avoids implosion,” he asserted.

He commended the youth, the main participants, in the demonstration for their peaceful conduct during the well-attended protest.

“…. The youth have shown maturity for embarking on such a peaceful and uneventful demonstration. I commend them and I believe society must begin to rethink the derogatory perceptions about them. This single act of comportment, by an age cohort usually described as rowdy, cannot go unnoticed. We have shown that we can be civil. This is highly commendable,” he said.

Prof Gyampo insisted that demonstrations must not be viewed negatively in a democratic dispensation and plans to embark on demonstrations must not be thwarted by the police through the use of the courts. Rather, he advised that the Ghana Police Service must resort to mutual negotiations with organisers of demonstrations.

“Once again, demonstrations aren’t a big deal. The mention of them, shouldn’t create any political pandemonium. The Police should hire the services of professional negotiators, to discuss proposals for demonstrations, in a manner that would ensure that they would be peaceful, rather than resorting to the very lazy approach of always rushing to court for restraining orders,” he advised.

The Ghana Police Service had initially sought an injunction against organizers of the FixTheCountry demonstration. The demonstration was put on hold as a result. The organizers went to court. But after much back and forth, the FixTheCountry demonstration finally took place.