Hey Musa,
I am back in Japan,it has been awhile since I did not follow issues on the
L, since the student riot happened.Well thanks for that demonstration that
you guys staged at the Gambian Embassy in DC.Gambians all over the world has
expressed anger and distress over what happened on April 10.The government
should refrain from continue brutality and killing of its own people.Well
there is no point of being a supporter of the present government or not.We
will stand clear to show our anger and disstatistification to the
government.The number of students who loose their lives shows incompetency
and lack of professionalism in the side of the Gambian Authorities.A much
better move should have been done in resolving this protest.Also if the
government is there for the Gambian people why can't it release the Gamsu
who have been detained under no justifyable reasons.May Allah the Almighty
bestow mercy and guidances to the families and friends who have lost their
loved ones in this unpatriotic and undemocratic move by the Gambia
government.Let us all pray for better Gambia.
The struggle continue;no retreat no surrender,forward ever backward never.
Sariang.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [log in to unmask] [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2000 3:41 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Demonstration at The Gambian Embassy
>
> Washington DC April 25, a group of Gambians mostly from the Washington
> Metropolitan Area, staged a demonstration at The Gambian embassy. In the
> wake
> of the student demonstration in The Gambia, which left 12 dead including a
> Red Cross volunteer and scores wounded, Gambians in the diaspora have been
> expressing their disgust and total outrage in the form of petitions,
> protest
> marches, telephone calls to condemn the atrocities committed by the Jammeh
> administration. 32 Gambians, including 4 from Georgia, 1 from North
> Carolina,
> and 1 from California participated in todays protest.
> At the beginning of the protest, 2 Secret Service Agents ( from the
> uniform
> division ) on scooters asked how long we planned to stay and then they
> helped
> themselves with coffee and donuts and took position watching our every
> move.
> It was cold and raining ' cats and dogs ' , but we stood our ground,
> formed a
> circle and chanting for an hour, exposing " His Holiness's " regime or
> whatever is left of it and then 22 of us went upstairs to deliver a
> petition
> and to seek an audience with Ambassador Bojang.
> Approximately 12:05 pm, we entered suite 1000 and asked to speak to the
> Ambassador. Consular Juwara emerged and led us to the conference room.
> Needless to say, it was a ' full house ' . According to Mr. Juwara,
> Ambassador Bojang was out attending a book fair. Barely 5 mins. into the
> meeting before you could say " PA SEY ", the Feds ( secret service agents
> ) a
> dozen of them appeared everywhere. After a word with the embassy
> officials,
> they stood patiently in the receptionist's office. Apart from the exhange
> of
> words between a protestor and the commanding officer ( a lady ), both
> sides
> exercised a great deal of restraint ------- in total contrast to what
> happened in The Gambia. All the speakers condemned in very strong terms,
> the
> Jammeh administration for its poor Human Rights record, most notably the
> recent student massacre. Mr. Juwara was informed of our intention to
> occupy
> and disrupt all services in the embassy unless and until we meet with the
> Ambassador. That we were ready to be arrested and charged with a
> misdemeanour
> ( punishable by a fine of $ 50.00 ). An hour into the meeting with
> Consular
> Juwara, Ambassador Bojang was seen talking to the Feds. Mr. Juwara then
> excused himself to talk to Mr. Bojang or what I'd call a 3 min. briefing.
> Both men then came to the conference room. We re-iterated our position :
> That
> we came to demonstrate our solidarity and support for GAMSU; That our
> petition be transmitted in its entirety.
> The meeting with ' His Excellency ' was raucous at some point as tempers
> flared, but it ended peacefully. Ambassador Bojang was given our petition
> and
> he promised to follow " Protocol " and send it immediately.
> The turnout was good ( 32 ). We had anticipated a larger crowd, but due to
> the inclement weather condition, many thought the demonstration was
> cancelled. Thank God, we weren't out there to vote, but to deliver a
> message.
> Hence, our " friends " on the other side can't down play the significance
> of
> the protest by playing the numbers game. During the meeting, a gentleman
> sitting next to me using his cell phone, called his wife's doctor to re -
> schedule an appointment. He said succinctly, " This's history in the
> making
> and I wouldn't want to miss a minute ... Coming here is the least I could
> do.
> The real Jambarrs are in The Gambia ".
>
> Musa.
>
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