(Jollofnews) – Protest over electoral reform which started in Westfield in April has spread to the Gambian capital, Banjul.
Several people gathered at the High Court in Banjul on Wednesday where seven more United Democratic Party (UDP) members appeared on several charges.
Protesters held banners that read: “We want democracy, no dictatorship.” Others were waving the Gambian and UDP flags.
Gambia’s current political crisis began on April 14 when members of the United Democratic Party led by Solo Sandeng staged a rare protest at Westfield Junction calling for electoral reforms and President Yahya Jammeh’s resignation.
Mr Sandeng and several others were beaten and arrested. Two days later, his party announced he was tortured to death while in custody.
Minutes after announcing his death, the UDP leader, Ousainou Darboe led his party members in another protest on April 16. The Darboe led protest was quelled by armed security officers who threw tear gas at them.
Mr Darboe and many others were arrested and kept in detention. He and 18 others were brought to court five days later and charged with several charges.
The charges against them included: Unlawful assembly, riot, incitement of violence, riotously interfering with traffic, holding a procession without a license and disobeying an order to disperse from an unlawful procession.
However, prosecutors amended the charges which now includes conspiracy to commit felony.
A team of lawyers, led by Antouman Gaye have been in and out of court trying to secure their release on bail.
The United Nations Secretary General, the United States, the European Union and several international human rights organisations such as Amnesty, Human Rights Watch and Article 19 have condemned Jammeh’s brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters.
The people that killed innocent unarmed peaceful protestors are the ones that have committed a crime and should be prosecuted. According to the Gambia Constitution, peaceful demonstration is a right and not a capital offense as far as I know. This goes to show that there is lawlessness in that country. One uneducated man’s words are the law, the judge, and the executioner. What a shameful situation.
Its time for everyone to show their support to our sisters and brothers in Gambia, to stop this sick bastard Yaya Jammeh. He is more evil than Firaun. This has nothing to do with tribe, he always use the tribe card. Lets flush this good for nothing bastard from our good and loving country. Its time for every Gambian to speak up, its time to send Yahya Jammeh and his ignorant jungulars to prison. This is what happens if we continue to be quiet, its time to rise up. Yayhy Jammeh is a bastard and so is the jungilars,. Isatou Njie saidy is a whore and opportunist. How can people lil Isatou Njie Saidy, Neneh McDowell and Fatim Singhateh watch our sisters and mothers being raped by this sick and ignorant bastArds called Jungilars. I urged Gambians to start burning gas stations and government offices and police stations to show this murder fucker that we mean business. As for people in the diaspora, speak up and put up money to support finance the removal of Jammeh and bring decency to our once living country. How more people will have to die and how many will be sent to prison and tortured for no reasons. Are we not men and women to take back our country. Thank you jollof news, Pa Nderry Mbaye, Fatou Camara, Fatou Jaw Manneg, Gambia Echo and Senegambia news. Sidi Sanneh thank you. Long live Gambia and hell to Yahya fucking Jammehvand sick jungular. They all sick to me. You bastards.
Am ashamed that we now have knuckle heads running the affairs of our country. No wonder there is so much killings in Gambia, who will give guns to dumb and ignorant bastards lil Sulayman Sambou, Sanna Manneg and all those murder fucking Jungulars. Civilians will face them and fight them if they have guns too. Me Sambou looks lil someone who hasn’t eat in years. You have to be ashame of yourself, what kind of a mother gave birth to Yaya Jammeh and his so called Jungulars. Your reign of horror on defenseless and innocent Gambians will soon be over