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Ghana Police Arrest Oliver Barker-Vormawor Amidst #StopGalamsey Protest

Ghanaian police have arrested activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor and 44 others who participated in a three-day demonstration in the capital against illegal gold mining, known as “galamsey.”

This follows the police’s announcement that Barker-Vormawor and other protesters from the group Democracy Hub engaged in “unlawful acts” near the government seat during their demonstration.

The protest, planned for September 21-23 to coincide with the birthday of Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, aimed to demand action from the president to address illegal mining, which has caused significant damage to the country’s water bodies and forest reserves.

Last year, a similar group of young people mobilized via social media under the hashtag #FixTheCountry to protest against the high cost of living and the economic crisis. This time, their focus was on illegal gold mining.

Although the police sought to prevent the protest by obtaining a court injunction, they stated they would provide protection if the demonstrators changed their planned route. Democracy Hub insisted on using their original route, which was about 500 meters from the government seat.

In response, Ghanaian police deployed thousands of officers to block major streets around the government seat, causing significant inconvenience for road users. The demonstrators eventually gathered at an intersection near the military hospital.

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