The arrested individuals have been identified as: Amadou Sawo, Kemo Fatty, Abubacarr Makawyo, Fatoumatta Kebba, Rohey M. Bah, Maimuna A. Bah, Mariama B. Mbaye, Omar Sanneh, Tijan Jallow, Salim M. Jabbie, Awa Susso, Ebrima Sarr, Ousman Bojan and Amadou Suwareh.
Led by prominent environmental activist Kemo Fatty, the demonstrators were intercepted adjacent to the prison gates by PIU officers, who cited official orders as the reason for blocking their path. Fatty maintained that the protest was peaceful and lawful, urging officers to allow the group to proceed.
Despite his appeal, a chief inspector confronted Fatty and ordered the immediate arrest of the entire group.
Following their arrest, the protesters were loaded into a waiting PIU pick-up vehicle and transported around the Kanifing area. The incident has sparked growing concern among civil society groups and rights advocates, who are calling for transparency and restraint in the handling of peaceful demonstrations.
Violent clash erupts outside Kanifing Magistrates’ Court
Violent scenes unfolded yesterday outside the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court following the remand of 23 youths who had protested last Friday in front of the PURA gate along Kairaba Avenue.
The unrest began shortly after Magistrate Touray ordered the youths be remanded at Mile Two Central Prison until 4th September. As three Police Intervention Unit (PIU) vans carrying heavily armed personnel, attempted to transport the detainees, a group of angry youths gathered outside the court premises, blocked the gate and staged a sit-in, refusing to allow their peers to be taken away.
A heated exchange ensued between the protesters and PIU officers. In response, police deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd. The situation quickly escalated, with some youths reportedly throwing stones into the court complex, blocking the road, and setting tyres ablaze.
The tear gas affected numerous individuals, including passers-by and journalists covering the event. Red Cross volunteers were seen administering first aid to those who collapsed due to the gas exposure. Among the affected was a woman carrying a newborn baby.
The PIU eventually regained control of the area, but the incident has sparked widespread concern over the handling of peaceful protests and the treatment of detained youths.
