Respect protesters whether you agree with them or not – Kofi Bentil tells Ghanaians
Senior lawyer and Vice-President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has urged Ghanaians to respect citizens who take to the streets to demonstrate, even when they disagree with the protesters’ political views or demands.
Ghanaians, according to senior lawyer and IMANI Africa Vice-President Kofi Bentil, should respect citizens who protest, even if they disagree with the protesters' political views or demands. Bentil emphasized that protesters and activists safeguard democratic freedoms, as they often risk their safety to challenge authority and expand civic liberties.
Addressing the NPP's "Democracy Under Attack" demonstration in Accra, Bentil urged citizens to respect protesters just because they may not agree with their stance. He argued that activism plays a crucial role in democracy by testing the boundaries of political power and ensuring that citizens' freedoms are not gradually restricted.
Bentil warned that democracy does not always face sudden attacks, but rather, it can be weakened gradually through actions that might appear insignificant at first. He cited historical examples of Hitler and Mussolini to illustrate how democratic principles were initially used to gain power, followed by the undermining of constitutionalism.
He also shared his personal experience during the NPP demonstration, where he was assaulted by police officers while trying to get close to the Jubilee House gate. Bentil stressed that citizens should exercise democratic rights without having to support a particular political cause.
He stressed that democracy tolerance requires people to respect protesters regardless of their political identity, ensuring that the right to protest is treated as a constitutional freedom and not dependent on public approval.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
