On August 22, 2025, peaceful protesters were arrested, beaten, and jailed for daring to challenge PURA’s criminal data price hike. The police—armed with weapons paid for by taxpayers—attacked unarmed youth chanting “We are lawful!” . Superintendent Lamin Sarr, a thug in uniform, threatened his own officers to violently suppress dissent, proving that Barrow’s “democratic” government is just a dictatorship in disguise.
The Protest Movement
The protests, led by groups like Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA) and Team Gom Sa Bopa, were a response to PURA’s anti-people policies. The D50 per GB price floor would force Gambians to pay 243% more for internet access, effectively pricing out the poor from the digital economy. Protesters demanded:
- Reversal of the price hike.
- Transparency in PURA’s cost models.
- Improved internet service quality.
Instead of listening, the government sent riot police to brutally disperse the crowd.
Police Brutality and Illegal Arrests
Nineteen protesters were initially arrested, including prominent activists like Yusef Taylor and Killa Ace. They were detained across four police stations—Kairaba, Kanifing, Kotu, and Bakoteh—to complicate legal support and intimidate others 110. On August 23, four more activists were arrested during a solidarity protest. In a bold act of defiance, 21 of the 23 detainees refused bail, demanding unconditional release as a form of civil disobedience.
Broader Anti-Corruption Struggle
This protest is part of a larger uprising against Barrow’s corrupt regime. Just a month earlier, on July 23, 2025, thousands of Gambians protested against:
- Embezzlement of COVID-19 funds.
- Kickbacks from Russian oil deals.
- The deaths of 70 children from contaminated cough syrup.
The regime’s response? More arrests, more intimidation, and more silence.
Call to Action
Gambians must:
- Join the protests in Banjul and nationwide.
- Demand the unconditional release of all detained protesters.
- Expose police brutality on social media and in communities.
- Stand in solidarity with GALA and other anti-corruption groups.
THEY JAIL PROTESTERS TO INTIMIDATE US. BUT THEY FORGET: THE MORE THEY REPRESS, THE STRONGER WE RESIST!
