Gambiaj.com – (Banjul, The Gambia) – At least Five people were arrested this morning when police moved to disperse protesters gathered outside the headquarters of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) in Kairaba Avenue.

The demonstration, called by the Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ), Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA), and Team Gom Sa Bopa, was staged to denounce PURA’s recent decision to impose a price floor of D50 per 1GB of mobile data – a move the groups say is “anti-competitive” and “unfair to ordinary Gambians.”

Despite a prior warning from the Gambia Police Force against showing up at PURA’s premises, dozens of youths assembled early in the morning, chanting and holding placards.

Newly graduated police officers had been deployed to the site but initially struggled to prevent the crowd from gathering, leading to a tense confrontation between senior officers and their juniors.

In a heated exchange, Police Superintendent Lamin Sarr expressed frustration at the inaction of his subordinates, threatening disciplinary measures against the officer in charge of the recruits.

Moments later, Superintendent Sarr addressed the protesters directly, declaring their gathering “unlawful” and ordering them to disperse immediately.

When Gambian rap artist and activist Killa Ace, a founding member of Team Gom Sa Bopa, insisted the protest was lawful, Superintendent Sarr ordered his immediate arrest. He was swiftly detained along with fellow activists Lamin Sey and Yusef Taylor, both known for their civic advocacy work. The police was also seen escorting two other protestors to a van stationed by.

The arrests sparked outrage among demonstrators, some of whom accused the authorities of using heavy-handed tactics to silence dissent. Police later confirmed that the arrested individuals were taken into custody for “unlawful assembly.”

The standoff comes after days of mounting tension between PURA and civil society groups, who argue that the regulator’s new pricing policy will disproportionately hurt low-income Gambians.

Meanwhile, the police have maintained that no protest permit was granted and that any gathering at PURA’s offices is unlawful.

As of press time, the three activists remained in custody, and it was unclear whether further charges would be filed.