During the #ReOccupyJulorbiHouse demonstration, the Ghana Police Service apprehended at least ten protesters, including a 62-year-old woman and her 10-year-old daughter.
The police cited traffic disruptions caused by the protesters’ choice of routes as the reason for the arrests.
The elderly woman stated, “I have not seen anything. I have not seen any statement. 62-year-old and 10-year-old arrested for saying no more galamsey. We have not committed a crime. We have not beaten anybody,” the 62-year-old woman said.
While the first day of the demonstration proceeded with some tension, the second day escalated into violence as participants defied police orders regarding specific routes.
In preparation for the protests, the police implemented a special operation, blocking key roads leading to the Jubilee House, which protesters aimed to occupy.
Numerous prominent Ghanaians joined the protests to voice their concerns over the government’s inaction on illegal mining, which is ravaging the nation’s forests and water bodies.
Recent reports indicate that the elderly woman and her daughter have since been released.