By Buba Gagigo
Migrants from Gambia, along with others, staged a demonstration in Germany to protest against police brutality, sparked by the alleged shooting death of a Gambian migrant named Lamin Touray by German police last month.
“Today I am standing in front of you as someone who saw Lamin Touray’s dead body lying in a mortuary completely destroyed by German police officers. Today I am standing in front of you as a Gambian Human Rights activist with deep pain and sorrow of losing a very kind and humble brother Lamin Touray,” Gambian migration and Human Rights activist Yahya Sonko said during the protest.
The prominent Gambian migration activist highlighted that the Lower Saxony police have been implicated in the deaths of at least five migrants over the past four years.
“Aman Alizada in August 2019 in the district of Stade, Mamadou Alpha Diallo in June 2020 in the district of Emsland, Qosay K. in March 2021 in Delmenhorst. Kamal I. in October 2021 in the district of Stade. On New Year’s Day 2023, a black man died in police custody in Braunschweig. And 30.03.2023 Lamin Touray was killed in Nienburg. At least three of these people – like Lamin – were in a state of mental distress at the time of their killings – as the police officers involved knew in each case,” Yahya said.
He said In all three cases, people contacted the police to get help for their friends or relatives but instead of the help they needed, they were found dead.
“When I first contacted Lamin Touray’s Partner/girlfriend to inform me as she was one of the eyewitnesses, she bitterly stated that “instead of police helping, they shot him like an animal in the forest” Now I ask. Are they police officers, or killers in a police uniform? Are they police officers or Racist covering themselves with a police uniform?” he asked.