#OccupyJulorbiHouse: What’s Happening in Ghana?

On the 21st of September, Ghanaians converged outside Jubilee House, Ghana’s presidential palace in Accra for a peaceful protest against the economic crisis in the country. According to the BBC, tensions have been high in Ghana over the high cost of living, with inflation standing at about 40%, and a group calling itself the Democracy Hub is embarking on a three-day protest regarding economic hardships and alleged mismanagement of the economy by the government.  

Protesters have cited several reasons for the protests, including the abuse of law, power and process; poor healthcare system; mismanagement of the economy; anti-LGBTQ Bill, and countless human rights abuses that have occurred under the administration. For the online protest, the hashtag #OccupyJulorbiHouse is being used to demonstrate their displeasure.  

I know some people are asking: why #OccupyJulorbiHouse? Here are a few reasons for our protests.

1. Mismanagement of the Economy: Due to overspending and overborrowing, Ghana is currently bankrupt. Over 850,000 have been pushed into poverty and Government has done little…

— joy boy (@FCTamakloe) September 22, 2023

We deya for country#OccupyJulorbiHouse #FixTheCountry 🇬🇭✊🏽 pic.twitter.com/vhVjd2EPeF

— #NOAPOLOGIES 🖤⚡️ (@VeanaNegasi) September 22, 2023

What’s Happening Right Now?

It is the second day of the protest and things have taken a ugly turn in Ghana. In a bid to suppress the demonstrations, security forces are resorting to the use of excessive force, and many protesters and journalists have reportedly been arrested. Victims and families of the arrested have since called for help on social media.

Let it be on record that @GhPoliceService manhandled me, twisting my hands to the back, pinning my foot with their boots, holding my shirt and putting their hands in between my thighs to take my phone. My crime is that I recorded police officers beating protesters and bystanders

— Vanessa Edotom Boateng (@VanessaEboateng) September 21, 2023

Ghana Police arrest peaceful protesters of #OccupyJulorbiHouse

They are protesting over the high cost of living.

The organisers informed the Police of the planned protest. The Police filed an ongoing injunction to halt the protest.

🎥 @tv3_ghana pic.twitter.com/wZK0cN8Y21

— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) September 21, 2023

How Can You Be a Part of This?

Press Release #OccupyJulorBiHouse Protest Update No. 6

Friends, as we prepare to step out for Day 2 of the #OccupyJulorBiHouse, we want to take time out to acknowledge all the several individuals, including lawyers, journalists, social voices, and ordinary citizens who mobilized… pic.twitter.com/MNeGlOgncz

— #Fixthecountry (@Ghfixthecountry) September 22, 2023

This is not the first protest that has rocked some African countries in recent times. In July this year, Kenyans protested over tax hikes, economic pressures and the high cost of living. In 2020, Nigerian youths took to the streets in protests against police brutality. This year, there was also a protest in Senegal over the arrest of the opposition figure. In many parts of Africa, the youths are coming together to demand better governance, and as this protest continues, the organisers of #OccupyJulorBiHouse have called for the support of the public to “sustain democratic activism for change.”

You can be a part of it today by donating money (please do your due diligence before making donations), lending your voice to this cause via your social media pages, and showing support to Ghanaian youths as they fight for better governance and better economic conditions.