“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”― John F. Kennedy
Come my fellow Gambians: Let us sing a song. “Rosa sat / So Martin could walk / Martin walked / So Barack could run / Barack ran / He ran, and he won so that all our children could fly.”
Now, let’s talk. Some of you are flying, and looking down at those walking. You’re completely blind to why and how you gained the freedoms that enable you to fly freely. You’re saying- look at those silly people taking to the streets to protest, only uneducated people, idlers and criminals do that, and when they get tear-gassed you complain…. this government is dictatorship.
Then you also notice that some of those taking to the streets are people in the flying category. They have good jobs, some are well-titled personalities in successful professions, and you say- look at them perfectly sensible people, engaging in time-wasting activism, what an indignity, totally embarrassing…
It’s the same mentality that drove some people who thought they were being sensible to say- If Solo Sandeng or Ousainou Darboe and United Democratic Party leadership has grievances they should go to court like a lawful citizen!( can you imagine protest under dictatorship) As if protesting is unlawful, beneath the dignity of a person who’s been a lawyer and leader of the main opposition, like seeing your father marching down a Pipeline- Westfield street with a placard shouting “We-Want-Justice!” You cringe at the thought.
You forget people’s fathers and mothers did just that, so you could fly. In your mind, you have placed protest in the same category as the hanging of your soiled underwear in public, ergo, only a mentally unstable person or an extremely narcissistic person would do such a thing.
None of your freedoms ever came without someone’s struggle and great sacrifice. None. And taking it to the streets has always been a part of that struggle, a relentless pursuit of a goal that shifts the earth beneath the feet of the ogres of our times. Be glad elevated philosophies gave us the weapons of nonviolent revolution. Struggles remain a never-ending process of Sat-Walk-Run-Fly no matter how civilized our societies become. We just hope that we don’t have to keep protesting the same shit.
Whatever you choose to do to contribute to a better society, do not look down on those who choose to walk as if they were idle scum of the earth. The best of them are good at it, they have mastered the art of movement leadership, organization and mobilization, and they have the guts and brains to maneuver the process. They are warriors. It’s as lawful as going to court, and the law should protect them.
Now, don’t point at hooligans who callously steal and destroy during protests and tell me that is what nonviolent protest are. I can point you to thugs and killers in suits sitting in swiveling chair in the same skyscrapers you have your office. Would it be fair to say you’re one of them?
The Oppressed is now the Oppressor. How soon we forget. Barrow needs to sack someone in the Ministry of Interior. They obviously do not understand the privilege of citizenship and the freedom accorded us to lawful assembly. Obviously this incompetent megalomaniac needs to be reminded that The President’s name is Barrow. Yahya Jammeh is gone! This nation belongs to the people not to politicians, not political elites, not Darboe and not Barrow. Frankly gentlemen, you are the people’s servants no more no less. You do not have the responsibility to harass or abuse your benefactor, your employer as it is the case here.These kinds of decisions only make you look and act like Apes. But then again, that is how the world views you.
Quote: “These kinds of decisions only make you look and act like Apes. But then again, that is how the world views you.”
A call to ORDER Dr Sarr, because this is out of order. I’m sorry to act but I have to act fast. All in good faith. Your frustration with this decision is understood.
Those who cried against the Public Order Act, are now the very ones relying on it to suppress dissent, and I think there are lessons here for Gambians to learn from. We must learn to make sure that our votes make real differences, not just in personalities but in real terms too. Obviously, as far as the Public Order Act is concerned, there has not been much difference in usage and that shouldn’t be ignored.
Dr Sarr, with all due respect I think you are missing the point here. The permit was not denied and left at that. The organisers were engaged in dialogue to address their grievances which is the right thing to do and I believe that is truly Gambian. When we disagree we sit and talk. And as in any disagreement it can take a while before both parties can reach an agreement. When the Kanillai incident happened, we all blamed the authorities for not engaging the people, now that they are engaging the organisers we are accusing them of being dictatorial. We should try and separate the security forces decision from politics. Doctor you and I both know that Westfield is a very busy intersection, so any gathering of more than a 100 people can bring the entire KMC to a standstill. The Police have to factor all that into consideration and the personnel required to police the event. Because you will agree with me that both the protesters and the general public need to be protected. Just about a week or so ago this Government gave APRC permit to hold a mass rally, so why not this group? the answer is, the APRC rally was easy to police. The decision not to grant a permit was a decision made by the police after considering lots of factors, not the politicians. And that is the kind of police force we want. We should respect their professional judgment just as we should respect your professional judgment if you should tell us that you are withdrawing or withholding treatment from our relative.
Buba, there was too much premium on this freedom and the right of free assembly. It is enshrined in our psyche. People gave their lives for these privilege. Solo and others died. Darboe spent time in jail and almost died. My point is, if the police thinks it is dangerous, they need to deploy more appropriately to accommodate our freedom to free assembly. Our rights in this regard in nonnegotiable. To come up with some unacceptable excuses is an insult on our collective intelligence and a violation of our rights as Gambians. Our rights trumps the so called security concerns. This is Jammeh’s line all over again. It is a lie. So what if traffic comes to a standstill. So be it. Where are we driving to anyway, when the entire country is in darkness and destitute.
Any Gambian that fail to understand this is not a student of history. I personally don’t care who the Oppressor is, as far as I am concerned we must use every power at our disposal to stop them. They are animals, they are criminals no better than the idiot Yahya Jammeh.
Doctor, we cannot pick and choose which sections of the constitution to accept and which not to. You have rightly said that freedom to protest is enshrined in our constitution (Section 25 subsections 1 & 2) yet that same constitution in the same section 25 in subsection (4) limits that freedom. This may appear as a contradiction but it is not. Because no freedom is absolute, therefore the constitution has to strike a balance between our freedoms and the freedoms of others. Even in the UK, the Birthplace of the Magna Carta, the police have to be informed six days before a planned demonstration and given the venue, route, time, date and the names and addresses of the organisers. It is then up to the police to use their powers to restrict or not the peoples right to demonstrate. All am saying is that we should leave the police to do their job. They will get it wrong sometimes, and when they do we can admonish them. The Government is talking to the protesters and that should be applauded and encouraged. I sincerely believed that the organisers want their concerns to be acknowledged by Government and that is what is happening through dialogue.
Why didn,t the UDP protesters use dialogue instead of storming without a permit saying it was not necessary ? To easily to forget. Didn,t they block the traffic ? Lets us try to balance. Regime change nor systems change. We have democractric dictatorship
Buba Camara, a private citizen cannot force dialogue on Government authorities. It should have been the Government who should have invited them to a dialogue to discuss their grievances. But we all know too well that was never in Jammeh’s nature. But we have seen what now obtains in a democracy, the authorities invited the organisers to a dialogue to avert confrontation. Should we all not encourage such approaches, or would you rather we keep having a repeat of the unfortunate and unacceptable incident that happened in Kanillai??? Buba, there is no Government in the World that would accept unlimited demonstrations, be it UK, USA, Germany, France, Denmark, Sweden, China, Australia you name it. Just Google demonstrations in those countries and see how the authorities deal with protesters. In-fact in all of these countries there are laws in place that curb the rights of protesters. In the UK the police carry out video surveillance recording of the event and compile a data bank. Even if you are just passing by you will be included in that databank. In UK the Police also “Kettle” protesters into one area and no one is allowed to leave, even for a call of nature. You do not have to take my word for it, do your own research into what I have said so far. If the Police had denied the organisers a permit and the authorities refused to meet them, then Buba, I would have a big issue with Government but for now lets give dialogue a chance.
Buba &/ Babu, the April 2000 student demonstrations & Political reforms demonstrations all sought dialogue & exhausted avenues to peaceful remedies before resorting to taking to street…
The would be Westfield occupy activists are being engaged currently, under the current induced political climate…
The two can only identify on grievance expressions but can’t be compared in contrast…
When and where was the political reforms dialogue take place. Who were the parties invloved ?Lets get the evidences
It is easy to try defend oneself.
The provisions in the constitutions does not know boundries. So what was wrong in Jammeh is also wrong in Barrow TORANKA Fulo administration
Buba sanyang” a private citizen cannot force government on dialogue”
Who is a private citizen? and what are the rights of a private citizen and what differ it from the student demonstration of 2000?
Buba Camara, you and I are private citizens. we cannot just work into a Ministers office and demand that we have audience with the Minister without prior appointment. If we do, it could end up very unpleasantly for us. You ask about the student demonstration of 2000. Buba how did the student demonstration ended????
Buba the political reform dialogue was sought together by the collective opposition before & tabled to IEC for reforms; while memories as still very fresh…?
Yaya devi Jammeh ignored & defied & shut down all means to peaceful resolve; while the current administration acknowledges & engage in dialogue, with legitimate avenues still open to the Westfield occupy to explore for satisfactory resolves…
Which political parties to be pricise and when and what did they submit to IEC?
It is common knowledge that UDP organise a self own meeting and no other parties was involved to tell yu the lest. The so called political demonstration did not involve any politcal party except UDP.
The fact are known and fresh in our memories
The collective opposition comprised of all political opposition parties tabled electoral concerns of pointed dossier to the aprc fiefdom for engagement to level the political field of fair play; it’s after repeated futile attempts to re-engage yaya killer devil fell on deaf ears which left others amongst them to resort to protest in the street; the rest is history…
Due to time values I can engage in genuine meaningful debate for societal advancement positives not time wasting negatives…
Bajaw
Yu did not put anything straight rather yu are paranoid .Why is it so difficult to accept the basic and known fact.
It is an open secret that No political parties dialogued with the former government and there was a stall and hence resort to demonstration.We all know the fact and hence cannot be blind folded by cheap narration of what obtains. It was one party all by her self and and so those arrested was clear testimony.the debate continues with the rest cos some are already emotionally charged and personalising the discussion. Maturity is not obtained in the four coners of the class room
It wasn’t an [“open secret”; no political party dialogued with the former government.] Indeed, it was an “open taboo” any political party attempts a dialogue with the former government. There wasn’t actually a government but an unintelligent ugly face figure dressed in large flowing white gown. He has a stretch of hands called jungulars and earlobes called Nia. When one of your family or neighbor disappears, who knows he/she might end up in a pool of hungry crocodiles …. Only the exceedingly brave went out in the open to say; now, it is enough. Or was it all tales?
I & I’m pretty sure many here following can attest to the fact that opposition parties INCLUDING & not limited to NRP, UDP, PDOIS, PPP, etc met & dialogued among themselves & chronicled some pointed dossier on electoral changes to level the political field & presented to IEC in particular under the evil kanilai fiefdom…
It’s after several futile attempts to peaceful dialogue engagements to no avail that led to martyred Ebrima Sandend (God bless him) & others to resort to protest on the streets…
The Gambia public can be the judge now if this actually (factually) happened or not…
Rectification please- Ebrima Sandeng; not Sandend; thank you..
Then why did only UDP took to the protest?If indeed they all were involved
Occupying Westfield is not a peaceful gesture even if they will occupy there for 2/3 days or one month and disperse peacefully. “Occupy” is not the best of words for a peaceful protest idea. This “occupy Westfield” thing meant to protest against the ongoing water and light shortages, is complete rubbish, even if I am very much a critic of most of the policies, procedures and programs of the Barrow administration.
With regards to the above situation, the present government, should therefore do everything to make available, a good service of water and light supplies. They should also bring to light how much money they received in loans, grants and aid and how they are being spent or planned to be spent in N.A sessions. The GRA too, must always be brought in the spotlight with respect to transparency.
Your senses now knocked the collective opposition involvement that you pretended in denial…
BECAUSE some UDP membership saw it necessary as the only avenue to last alternative resort available after exhaustive attempts to engage & re-engage without dialogue according to constitution & rules of law; reasons to why others didn’t get out aren’t relevant…
But the self destructive kanilai satanic Lucifer & disciples assumed the idol worshipping deviling was perfected… Pounding it’s neferiuos chest, swearing to bury all & every Gambian including the aid & abetting alive by all means…
Only for the Most Magnificent to show His Magnanimous Hands & rudder us to unify at the point for sake of communal prosperity; as truth is always everlasting; with the evil ali kanilai baba to curl it’s satanic tail, taking to heels, with few mercenaries to hide some asylum on the equator; which is temporary for time until extradition for humanity crimes committed..
This is not an academic discussion for wannabe lawyers, this is our lives. Those telling an alternative lie and findings ways to defend this illegal action need to remember this. One day, they will deny you your rights and freedom. Because today you fail to be on the right side of history.
God Bless The Gambia
If the corn is for me, I’m neither lawyer nor politician; I rationalise & debate in attempt search to remedy for better in exchange of ideas to both improve myself as human beings & society as our collective mandatory responsibility together…
What’s worst if for one to blatantly claim for right to self & always expected to be provided, even in contrast & at reckless expense to others’ who too are entitled, whilst refusing their own mandatory responsibility requirements towards the very communal society in defence…
Truth is synonymous to God; not Satan’s…