The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Sekondi Constituency, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, has raised concerns about the derogatory manner in which the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protesters described the seat of government.
He said they could have made their point without using such derogation for the Jubilee House.
For the Deputy Energy Minister, the demonstrators had the right under the constitution to demonstrate and he has had to enjoy that same right in the past.
“My own concern really is the derogatory nature with which the seat of our government is described as Julorbi House. It is really sad that the media is glorifying this and amplifying it,” he stated on the Big Issue segment of TV3‘s New Day on Monday, September 25.
He said there have been demonstrations with decent names put on them like #OccupyFlagstaffHouse.
“You could have just said ‘OccupyJubileeHouse’ and your message that you want to convey will still have been conveyed.”
He later said: “If as demonstrators you will describe the seat of our nation’s presidency in those terms, I think that all of us should be united in condemning it rather than glorifying it and amplifying it.”
The #OccupyJulorbiHouse protest was staged from Thursday, September 21 to Saturday, September 23.
The three-day demonstration started in chaos as a disagreement between organisers and the police saw all who showed up on Day 1 arrested.
But they were allowed to demonstrate on the remaining days.
They were demanded improved living conditions including employment, reduced taxes, among others.
For Mr Agyapa Mercer, some of their demands “are legitimate and some are exaggerated”.