At least five people have been injured by the police, Kerr Fatou has learned.
Paramilitary officers have arrested over a dozen people in connection to the protest which was staged against what organisers considered to be maladministration of the Brikama Area Council.
The protest named Occupy BAC was organized by residence of the Council and activists to demand “proper and efficient” administration from the Council.
Several vendors at the Brikama market are complaining of poor service delivery and “deplorable” state of their market.
The group was denied a permit by the Gambian police. However, their leadership said protest was their constitutional right and they do not require a police permit to take to the street.
“We were beaten, stamped and slapped,” said Amadou Ceesay, one of the people taken into custody by the police.
Ceesay briefly spoke to Kerr Fatou few minutes after he was taken into custody. “About 20 of us were arrested,” he texted on his phone. Kerr Fatou could not independently verify this and we were unable to reach the police spokesperson for comment.
Kerr Fatou has learned the arrest occurred after a brief standoff with the police. Meanwhile, the regional forces were deployed to Brikama to calm the situation.
This was after the protesters reportedly set the old market on fire. The regional forces were deployed to guard the Brikama Police Station and protect it from attack.
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