United Democratic Party, UDP has condemns the violence against peaceful protesters of the Occupy BAC, by Police in Brikama on 24 July, 2019.
On 24th July, 2019 Citizens of West Coast Region protested peacefully by demonstrating demanding for better service delivery from the Brikama Area Council (BAC).
Protesters marched in the streets heading toward the BAC office chanting ‘We Want Peace’ and ‘BAC must deliver’ and as they marched closest the Anti-riot police fired tear gas at protesters and chasing them which resulted to 50 injuries and other were arrested.
In a press release signed by UDP Spokesperson Almami Fanding Taal and obtained by The Voice on Friday July 26, 2019, stated that UDP acknowledges that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has the discretion to issue permits.
However, he noted that UDP encourages the IGP to work towards concrete efforts to widen the space for assembly and for expression as spelt out in the 1997 Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia.
Tall pointed out that, the IGP where he cannot issue permits should specify to the requestors why, at that specified period and location, Gambians who wish to express themselves cannot be allowed to do so.
“The UDP understands that such anger as demonstrated by Gambian youth this week is not and cannot only be interpreted to be related to the death of Ousman Darboe and Occupy BAC. Rather, it is our view that these actions are linked to the general frustrations of the youth on a host of issues including but not limited to Police violence,” Tall probed.
He added: “Gambian youths are disillusioned that after having endured and dislodged a 22 year dictatorship, very little has changed in terms of democratic norms. Corruption and cronyism continue to affect service delivery across the board; unemployment is still high while the environment adversely affects job creation initiatives.”
He further urged that the UDP calls on the Government of The Gambia to not only create the enabling environment for Gambians to publicly speak out on issues of concern to them but to also act on improving on the situations that lead to those concerns.
“The UDP seizes this opportunity to call on the Party’s youth in particular, Party sympathizers and the Gambian people to desist from any form of violence as a form of expression.
The Secretary General and the Executive Committee of the UDP thank all Gambians and reiterate our calls for calm, restraint and non-violence,” he concluded.