Gambia bans protests without permits after unrest over power cuts
The protests over multiple nights highlighted frustration with President Adama Barrow.
Black News 
Gambia’s police chief has announced that no further protests will be allowed in the West African nation without permits, after authorities used tear gas earlier in the week to disperse crowds that had formed to denounce prolonged power cuts during the hottest months of the year.
The protests over multiple nights highlighted frustration with President Adama Barrow ahead of elections in December.
“From this very moment, nobody is allowed to protest without an approved permit,” Seedy Mukhtar Touray, Gambia’s inspector general of police, said in a statement late Thursday.
“Nobody is allowed to converge, cause havoc, distort the peace and tranquility of the nation, especially during the night. Any violation to this will be met with necessary force.”
During the unrest earlier this week, a police post was vandalised and “detainees were unlawfully released from custody”, Touray said, while the national utility, National Water and Electricity Company Ltd (NAWEC), said it had closed three branches after attacks severely damaged buildings, infrastructure and office equipment.
Authorities have arrested 11 people in connection with vandalism during the unrest, Touray said.
