The Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has condemned what he described as an unprovoked act of violence by a police officer during the “Save the Judiciary” demonstration held at Parliament House on Monday, May 5, 2025.
The protest, which sought to draw attention to concerns about judicial independence and uphold constitutional values, was momentarily overshadowed by a physical confrontation involving Afenyo-Markin and a uniformed officer identified as Constable Forson.
A widely circulated video from the demonstration shows Afenyo-Markin visibly agitated as he attempts to strike an officer behind a barricade. In a statement released later the same day, the Minority Leader provided his version of the events, alleging that he was assaulted without provocation.
According to Afenyo-Markin, the incident occurred as he approached the police barricade to present a petition. “The impact of the hit dazed me, and I was visibly shaken and short of breath,” he said, alleging that the officer struck him forcefully on the chest near his heart.
He recounted that the blow left him stunned and disoriented, prompting immediate assistance from senior police officials and parliamentary colleagues who offered water and helped him recover. Despite the ordeal, he went on to deliver the petition as planned.
Afenyo-Markin insisted that his reaction—captured in the viral footage—was a spontaneous protest against the officer’s conduct, and rejected claims suggesting that he was the aggressor in the altercation.
“What makes this assault particularly egregious is that the officer was being openly reprimanded by his superiors and fellow officers at the time, yet he defiantly responded that he didn’t care who I was,” he noted in the statement.
The lawmaker further disclosed his intention to submit a formal petition to the Inspector-General of Police, calling for a full investigation into the matter. He also raised concerns about the officer’s sudden disappearance from the scene following the incident, questioning whether there were attempts to protect him from accountability.
Afenyo-Markin did not hold back in criticising what he said were deliberate efforts by some political opponents to distort the narrative and divert attention from the key issues behind the demonstration.
“We must not be distracted from the purpose of the demonstration. We marched to defend the Constitution and the independence of the judiciary—principles that must be protected at all costs,” he asserted.
The demonstration, organised by a coalition of Political Parties, including the NPP, highlighted rising concerns about alleged interference in the judicial process and called for stronger safeguards to uphold the rule of law.
