Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has condemned what he describes as an unprovoked assault by a police officer during the “Save the Judiciary” demonstration at Parliament House on Monday, May 5, 2025.

In a statement released the same day, Afenyo-Markin recounted that as he approached a barricade to present a petition, he was struck forcefully in the chest by a uniformed officer identified as Constable Forson. The blow, he said, landed near his heart and left him dazed, short of breath, and visibly shaken.

“I was visibly agitated because the impact of the hit dazed me,” Afenyo-Markin stated, explaining that senior officers and colleagues quickly came to his aid, offering him water and helping him recover before he resumed his role in the demonstration.

Video footage of the event, which has since gone viral, shows the Minority Leader in a confrontation with the officer, appearing to react angrily behind the barricade. However, Afenyo-Markin insists his actions were not aggressive but a protest against the officer’s unwarranted behavior.

“What makes this assault particularly disturbing,” he added, “is that the officer was being rebuked by his superiors at the time, yet he arrogantly responded that he didn’t care who I was.”

Following the incident, the Minority Leader announced plans to submit a formal petition to the Inspector-General of Police, calling for a full investigation into the officer’s conduct. He also expressed concern that Constable Forson disappeared from the scene shortly after the altercation, suggesting possible efforts to shield him from accountability.

Afenyo-Markin further criticized attempts by some individuals to misrepresent the incident, accusing elements within the opposition of exploiting the situation to divert attention from the demonstration’s main objectives.

“We must not allow this to overshadow the reason we marched,” he said. “We gathered to uphold the Constitution and defend the independence of the judiciary—values that are fundamental to our democracy.”

Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service has invited Afenyo-Markin to assist with investigations into the incident.