An Accra High Court has dismissed a motion filed by the Ghana Police Service that sought to halt a planned demonstration against illegal mining—commonly known as galamsey—scheduled to take place later this month.
The decision came after Assistant State Attorney David Bachem, acting on the instructions of the Attorney General, requested the court to allow the withdrawal of the police’s application.
With the legal hurdle now cleared, the much-anticipated protest is set to proceed on Sunday, April 28, starting from the Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle. The demonstration will follow a route along the Ring Road and is expected to conclude at the Liberation Square, opposite the Jubilee House. Organizers say the protest will run from 4:00 PM on April 28 through to 12:00 AM on April 29.
One of the conveners, well-known media personality Okatakyie Afrifa, criticized the initial attempt to block the protest, describing it as an action taken in bad faith.
In the motion that was filed—and later withdrawn—the Ghana Police Service had called on the organizers to change the final destination of the protest, citing concerns over the proximity of the Jubilee House, a designated security zone.
The police also argued that the protest’s timing could result in significant traffic congestion and disrupt essential services in the capital.
Despite these concerns, the court’s ruling now allows the demonstration to move forward, in what many view as a critical public statement against the ongoing issue of illegal mining in Ghana.
