Africa-Press – Gambia. A tense confrontation unfolded on Monday at the Kanifing Magistrate Court as youths rallied against the imprisonment of protesters detained on August 22nd for demonstrating against the PURA data price floor.
The morning began with a gathering of young people showing solidarity with their peers. Tensions escalated after Magistrate Thomas Touray ordered the detained youths to be held at Mile 2 Central Prison, pending a hearing on their bail application set for September 4, 2025.
The decision sparked outrage among the demonstrators, who occupied the court gate in protest. As police attempted to take the detained youths into custody, the crowd responded with chants, raising their hands in unison and shouting slogans including, “We are the youths, we are the youths! We are the Gambians, Mighty! Mighty Gambians! Free our youths!”
One of those arrested, Killa Ace, spoke to journalists while being escorted to a police van. “Injustice just for standing up for our constitutional right to peacefully assemble and complain about the expensive internet in the country,” he said. “The same system here before is the same system being applied by this government, and we will fight for the end of that. No one’s father owns this country.”
As youths blocked the road and knelt in front of the court gate in defiance, police deployed tear gas. The move quickly created chaos, affecting both protesters and bystanders. Several individuals were arrested and taken into custody as the scene turned increasingly volatile.
Omar Saibo Camara, spokesperson for GALA and among the newly arrested, condemned the ongoing restrictions on freedom of expression.
“It is unfortunate that after fighting dictatorship in 2016, 8 years down the line, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly continue to be censored and seized,” he said. Camara had previously urged calm, advising protesters to wait for the court’s verdict collectively and peacefully. “This is unfortunate; it is absolutely unacceptable to have these people arrested since Friday, brutalized and abused, and kept behind bars until today,” he lamented.
The unrest extended beyond the court. Environmental activist Kemo Fatty, seen leading a group of youths towards Banjul, was arrested after telling journalists he intended to engage with lawmakers directly.
“I want to have a conversation with those people who make our laws. I will wait for them until they arrive, however long it takes,” Fatty said.
He added that they witnessed an injustice and chose to oppose it, citing Saint Augustine: “An unjust law is no law at all.”
The standoff has raised pressing questions about the resolution of the dispute. Will the youths’ demands be addressed, or is further unrest likely?
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