Angry youth mounted roadblocks, dug trenches and burnt tyres to protest the poor condition of the Takoradi main habour road. A number of journalists were caught in the violence.
(MFWA/IFEX) – On November 29, 2011, a mob of young protesters in Takoradi, in the Western Region of Ghana, attacked and prevented journalists from covering their violent protest.
The journalists attacked included Moses Dotse Aklorbortu, a regional correspondent for the state-owned “Daily Graphic” newspaper, Kweku Owusu Preprah, reigning journalist of the year and news editor for the privately-owned Kiss FM radio station, Patrick Enmil Arthur and Lord Tawiah of the Accra-based Metro TV station. Another reporter, Ohene Djan, who was broadcasting the protest live to his radio station, Asempa FM, was also harassed.
“The Daily Graphic” reported in its November 30 edition that the angry youth mounted roadblocks to make the road impassable. They dug trenches and burnt tyres to protest the poor condition of the Takoradi main habour road.
Aklorbortu, who photographed the protest, was roughed up and sustained a minor injury on his left hand.
“I was pushed to the ground and fell in between two parked haulage trucks. My shirt was torn and they took away my camera and cellular phone,” Aklorbortu told Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA).
The Takoradi police are investigating the matter.
MFWA strongly condemns this attack on journalists who were going about their legitimate duty, and calls for an immediate investigation into the matter and for the perpetrators to be punished severely.
