Democracy Hub’s 2-day anti-galamsey protest commences today

Pulse Staff 07:58 - 21 September 2025

The two-day anti-galamsey protest organised by civil society group Democracy Hub begins today, Sunday, 21 September 2025.

The protest, themed #StopGalamseyNow and #Fanofam, starts with a vigil at Revolution Square on Sunday, followed by a march on Monday, 22 September, which is a public holiday.

According to the organisers, the demonstration seeks to pressure President John Dramani Mahama to accelerate efforts and take urgent and decisive action to tackle illegal mining (galamsey). The group argues that galamsey continues to destroy water bodies, farmlands, and livelihoods, threatening the future of more than 30 million Ghanaians and generations yet unborn.

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Galamsey

Meanwhile, the Lawyers for Protest Defence (LPD), an independent network of lawyers dedicated to defending free speech and assembly, has pledged legal monitoring and pro bono support during the protest.

In a statement dated Saturday, 20 September, LPD said its volunteer lawyers will be present at the protest grounds to provide legal support, monitor events, and respond to any violations of rights.

The statement emphasised:

Today, Galamsey represents the most proximate threat to our present and future lives with its far-reaching and unrestrained consequences. As a result, the fight against galamsey is a national cause that demands the unmuted voices of all Ghanaians, irrespective of partisan affiliation. Protecting our water, lands, and future generations is in the interest of all Ghanaians. The Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and demonstration, and it is the responsibility of every institution to uphold that right.

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Oliver Barker-Vormawor

The group also urged the police to adhere to the law during the protest, stating:

In this regard, we respectfully remind law enforcement officers of their constitutional duty: to act strictly within the law, to protect rather than repress, and to serve the people whose rights they are sworn to defend. Further, peaceful protest is not a threat to democracy but evidence of democracy in action.

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Democracy Hub concluded by calling on the public to respect the peaceful character of the protest, stressing that exercising constitutional rights strengthens democracy and that every citizen has a duty to protect the freedoms of others, even when they disagree.

Lawyers for Protest Defence (LPD) statement

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