A group of young men and women on Friday defied torrential rains and the presence of heavily armed police officers to stay on the streets of Accra.
The protest dubbed #OccupyJulorbiHouse was meant to demand a reduction in the cost of living, and an end to corruption among state officials among others.
The street action which began on Thursday, September 21, 2023, took a chaotic turn on its first day as the police rounded up some of the young men and women and allegedly subjected them to various forms of assault.
But that did little to deter them as they again gathered at the converging point at the 37 lorry station early on Friday.
They began their march to the Jubilee House to picket but were again stopped in their tracks by the police at the 37 Military Hospital.
In front of the Hospital, the fervent crowd of protestors gathered and sat on the streets as the heavily armed officers mounted a barricade to stop them from reaching their Jubilee House target.
Resolute in their mission to bring about change in Ghana, they began chanting and singing patriotic songs. That scene quickly became a rally ground as various individuals including celebrities took turns addressing the crowd to voice their concerns.
As the protest gained momentum, so did the gathering clouds. By 2:40 p.m., a torrential downpour began. Again this did not deter them with the majority of the protestors refusing to let the powerful messages blaring from the speakers go to waste.
They defiantly sang, “And help us to resist the oppressor’s rule. With all our will and might for evermore,” as the rain poured down.
Despite the adverse weather conditions, the protestors continued to dance in the rain and chant slogans near the barricades. There was no sign of their determination waning.
In the midst of this, various social media accounts shared videos documenting the extraordinary scene. The heavy rains proved to be no real obstacle to the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protestors, who remained in high spirits despite the downpour and the heavy police presence.
The sentiment among the demonstrators was clear: rain or shine, they were committed to fighting for a better Ghana.
Throughout the afternoon, their resilience was put to the test, with some reports even suggesting attempts to disperse them with hot water. Yet, the protestors stood their ground, undaunted.
Source: Newsalertgh