The wave of protests over data costs is more than just noise in the streets. It is a cry from young Gambians who feel cornered by policies that make life harder, not easier. The arrests and charges against these protesters expose a troubling trend: the criminalisation of dissent.
At the centre is the Public Order Act. Time and again, it has been used to deny citizens their constitutional right to protest. This outdated law is out of step with the democracy The Gambia aspires to be. Citizens should not need a police stamp of approval to exercise a right already guaranteed by the Constitution.
The anger this time is about the floor price for mobile data. In today’s world, internet access is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Students, small businesses, and ordinary families all depend on affordable data. To raise prices without proper consultation is to ignore the realities of those struggling to survive.
The government must listen. The regulator and service providers must come to the table. Decisions on something as vital as internet costs cannot be made behind closed doors. They require openness, fairness, and inclusion.
But dialogue alone is not enough. Reform of the Public Order Act is long overdue. So long as this law is used to silence voices, protests will not stop—they will only grow louder. A confident democracy listens; it does not fear its citizens.
The choice before us is clear. We can continue with arrests, charges, and bitterness. Or we can embrace dialogue, reform, and progress. The first path divides us. The second builds a stronger, freer Gambia. The way forward must be dialogue—not handcuffs.
Perhaps there is a glimmer of hope in the fact that the Presidency has announced the formation of a committee to review the decision of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority which sparked off these latest waves of protess.
The committee must do this work with openness and inclusivity.
