Some residents of Ata-Ne-Ata, a cluster of villages near Huni Valley in the Western Region, sustained various degrees of injury following a clash with soldiers on Tuesday. The residents were protesting against what they describe as the negative environmental impact of mining firm Aboso Goldfields on the community. They claim explosions carried out by the mining company have caused cracks in their buildings and resulted in the pollution of their source of drinking water. According to a community spokesperson, the Tarkwa Police had given organizers a permit to demonstrate, but a group of soldiers still stormed the assembly point and dispersed the teeming crowd, using violence. In the process a number of the residents were injured. Frank Appiah, spokesperson for the residents, said the soldiers insisted they would not allow the demonstration regardless of a police permit. According to Appiah, the leader of the fully-armed military team ordered the demonstrators to disperse, but the locals refused at which point he is said to have ordered that they be beaten. Appiah said the soldiers assaulted the residents, including the elderly. Meanwhile, the Tarkwa District Police Commander, DSP Godfred Anim, has confirmed the incident but says the residents went against the agreed process for demonstrating. Source: Myjoyonline.com/Ghana