The
right to protest is a human right arising out of a number of recognized human
rights. While no human rights instrument or national constitution grants the
absolute right to protest, such a right to protest may be a manifestation of
the right to freedom of assembly, the right to freedom of association, and the
right to freedom of speech.
Therefore,
peaceful protest and demos are synonymous in any thriving democracy and The
Gambia is not an exception. The recent spate of protests in the country calls
for more sensitisation and enlightenment among the masses. As right comes with
responsibilities, it is important for people to always bear in mind that where
one’s right ends is exactly where the rights of another starts.
Suffice
it to state that a protest in most developing countries is sometimes
characterised as potentially destabilising or threatening to democracy, but
there is evidence or proof that protest can coexist with democracy even in the
younger and poorer democracies of the world.
While
some of the protests involved large crowds which can sometime becomes rowdy and
uncontrollable, it is high time The Gambia Police force better equip its men
and women with crowd control measures. We must commend the GPF and its sister
security apparatus for the maturity and professionalism displayed during the
past two protests which pulled out record numbers. But they should not relent
in their laurels in ensuring that the internal of the country is guaranteed at
all cost.
We
also wish to remind the GPF that as far as ensuring the internal security of
land is concerned, they shouldn’t even go beyond their limits. We have seen
protest in some countries that turned violent.
However,
people should not see protests, as necessarily violent or a threat to the
interests of national security or public safety. Nor is it necessarily civil
disobedience, because most protests do not involve violating the laws of the
state.
People
are governed by laws and once people are not happy with certain laws and actions
in place, they have right to protest peacefully, to seek for redress. We must
always bear in mind that The Gambia is a beacon of hope throughout the world
when it comes to its citizens’ peaceful coexistence irrespective of one’s
religious or ethnic affiliation. This must be brought to the attention of the
police high command.
“
He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to
perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really
cooperating with it.”
Martin
Luther King, Jr.
