By: Kemo Kanyi
More than 20 individuals have sought medical attention at the Brikama District Hospital following clashes with Operation Clear-The-Road taskforce at Brikama marketon Monday as it continued its demolition of stalls, tables, and seats owned by the market vendors.
The councilor for Nyambai Ward and market representative Momodou Jawo was, alongside several youths, arrested by the task force.
As the operation proceeded, market vendors, including men and women, helplessly watched while the officers destroyed their properties in an area that BAC recently constructed for them.
Yankuba Darboe, Chairman of the Brikama Area Council, was spotted approaching the demolition team. He was telling the task force to arrest him if they were brave enough before destroying the valuables of the vulnerable people of his region.
“Shoot and kill me,” Darboe told the security team as he drew nearer to them.
As he walked towards the demolition team, a huge crowd was formed behind him and the chants of Chairman, Chairman, Chairman could be heard several metres away.The crowd then started hauling stones at the securityteam, which responded with tear gas. The chairman was rushed into the Brikama District Hospital as tear gas continued to be fired. A little later, there was an onrush of large crowds of people into the district hospital and people could be seen offering a helping hand to those affected by the gas. Some have fainted while others were struggling to breathe.
Those affected included women, men, children, and students.
A tailor around the market told this reporter that the girl he was helping to get to the hospital was his customer. “She came to my workshop to sew her clothes for the Tobaski feast,” he added.
Alhagie Dibbasey, a medical laboratory owner, was seen complaining to the security team and when asked by thisreporter what his reason was, he responded: “I am a medical laboratory owner. My people were inside the lab but none of them was outside because I told them not to go out. One PIU officer suddenly came and started firing tear gas inside the lab. There is someone there whose condition I can’t tell right now because the person is currently suffering a lot.”
