Organisers of the #StopGalamseyNow protest have rejected a request by the police to postpone their planned February 27 demonstration, insisting the rally will proceed as scheduled.
According to them, preparations for the protest were made weeks before the announcement of the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), which has now been scheduled for the same day.
One of the conveners, Patience Tai, disclosed in a post on X that the Regional Deputy Police Commander invited the protest organisers to a meeting at 10 a.m. on February 23, 2026.
“At the meeting, we were informed that the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) is also scheduled for the same day, and we were urged to change the protest date due to what was described as ‘insufficient security resources’.”
She said the organisers had considered the request extensively but decided not to reschedule.
“We have deliberated extensively, and we are resolute: our protest will go on as planned.”
“This youth-led, non-partisan, and peaceful call to protect our lands, forest reserves, and water bodies will not be sidelined. The organizers of the #StopGalamseyNow protest have formally responded to the police’s request to postpone the date, making our position clear.”
Patience Tai further argued that the group had formally notified the police long before the SONA announcement.
“Also the organizers informed the police way before the SONA was announced. Almost three weeks before.”
She added that public inconvenience would not deter their cause.
“If coming out in our numbers to demand accountability and an end to galamsey causes inconvenience to the President and his appointees, so be it.”
The planned protest has garnered support from several public figures, including activist and lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who has publicly expressed his intention to participate.
On social media, many supporters have described the demonstration as a constitutional right, with some stating that citizens are prepared to proceed regardless of the police’s concerns about security deployment.
The February 27 protest is being organised to demand stronger action against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, which continues to devastate Ghana’s forests, water bodies and farmlands.
