Gambiaj.com – (Banjul, The Gambia) – The All People’s Party-Sobeyaa (APP-Sobeyaa) has strongly condemned the arrest of youth protesters who gathered outside the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) headquarters on August 22, 2025, to demonstrate against the regulator’s directive for GSM companies to raise data bundle prices.
In a statement issued on Friday, APP-Sobeyaa leader Essa Mbye Faal described the arrests as “unlawful” and the police response as an “excessive use of force against peaceful protesters.”
The youth-led movement Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA), backed by advocacy groups including Team Gom Sa Bopa and the Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ), had called for the demonstration despite a police warning a day earlier declaring the protest unauthorized.
The protesters argue that PURA’s directive to increase data costs undermines recent promotional offers and discounts by GSM companies that had eased the financial burden on Gambian consumers.
“We are outraged by reports on social media and local platforms highlighting the heavy-handed tactics used to suppress this legitimate demonstration,” Faal said. “The arrest of citizens voicing their opposition to PURA’s anti-consumer policies, which favor corporate interests over the welfare of ordinary Gambians, is a blatant violation of their constitutional right to freedom of assembly and expression.”
Police arrested at least five protesters at the scene, saying the demonstration was unlawful because organizers failed to obtain a permit. The arrests followed the Gambia Police Force’s public warning against the protest, citing security concerns and the need to maintain public order.
APP-Sobeyaa has demanded the “immediate and unconditional release” of all those arrested, urging President Adama Barrow’s administration and PURA to reverse what it called an “unjust directive” and instead open transparent dialogue with the public.
“The government must prioritize the interests of Gambians, particularly the youth, who rely on affordable data access for education, business, and connectivity in an increasingly digital world,” Faal stressed.
The statement also reaffirmed solidarity with GALA and all Gambians “resisting policies that burden citizens,” while calling for public institutions to protect democratic freedoms rather than suppress them.
The protest marks the latest confrontation between Gambian authorities and youth activists, who have increasingly mobilized around economic and social issues, accusing institutions of protecting corporate interests at the expense of ordinary people.
