After serving notice to see to the original plan of #OccupyJulorbiHouse protest, organisers led a procession on Friday, September 22 towards the Jubilee House.
They were, however, stopped by heavily-armed police officers in front of the 37 Military Hospital.
Day 1 of the protest saw all participants who showed up at the converging point, the 37 lorry station, rounded up into a waiting police bus.
Numbering 56, they were sent to the Accra Regional headquarters of the Ghana Police Service and later dispersed to cells across the region.
They were all, however, released same day but the police said they took part in an unlawful demonstration.
After the release, organisers expressed resolve to continue as the protest has been originally planned for a three-day period. It was scheduled to start on Thursday, September 21 and end on Saturday, September 23.
On Friday, some celebrities were spotted at the meeting point, expressing solidarity with the protesters.
“I am here to express my solidarity as a member of the music community,” the 2016 VGMA Artiste of the Year, EL, told journalists.
“I really hope that today everything goes well and we are able to protest and demonstrate,” socialite Efia Odo also said.
In a complete opposite turn of events, no one was picked up by the police. The organisers had claimed Friday’s protest will be for educational purposes.
However, after a sizeable number of protesters converged, there was a procession to the seat of government.
But the heavily-armed police officers formed a human wall in front of the 37 Military Hospital to stop the procession from moving any further.
The police had adduced that the Jubilee House was a security zone and had informed the organisers in an earlier meeting, the very reason for the disagreement over the protest.
One of the legal representatives of the protesters, Martin Kpebu, addressing the crowd, stressed that for over 100 years protests have happened in front of the White House, the seat of government in the United States of America (USA).
“Over 100 years people have been demonstrating in front of the White House,” he said.
“The only time it changed is just January 6.”
He added in Twi: “I have been to Washington and seen protests in front of the White House, so why can’t you allow us to do same?
“We are not requesting to enter but want 50 meters from the Jubilee House. That is what we are asking for not the 37 Military Hospital.”
He later accused President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of bribery and corruption, threatening that he will be forced to resign.