Ismaila Ceesay Condemns Students’ Treatment of Him During UTG Protest

Gambian Information Minister Ismaila Ceesay has criticised the way some University of The Gambia students treated him during a protest, calling their actions unacceptable while acknowledging their right to express frustration. Speaking to West Coast Radio, Ceesay said he went to the university after a staff member contacted him and asked him to help calm students whose anger was rising during the demonstration. He said he agreed because he had spent 15 years working at the university and had relationships with some students. According to Ceesay, he left his security detail behind and walked to campus in the hope of helping resolve the situation peacefully. He said that, after he arrived, some students shouted at him, told him to go home and threw stones. Ceesay said he understood that students had grievances, but argued that those actions were wrong. He added that their conduct should not be taken as representative of the entire student body, saying other students had contacted him to condemn what happened. The minister thanked police for showing restraint during the incident. He said he had also remained calm, and insisted he was not angry with the students. Ceesay said public criticism and frustration were part of his role as a politician, and that citizens were entitled to direct their anger at him when unhappy about an issue. Still, he drew a distinction between voicing grievances and violence. Ceesay said students had a right to protest, but should do so without attacking someone who had served the university. He described the treatment he received as unacceptable by the standards of a civilised society and called on others to condemn it. His account presented him as both a former university staff member who went to intervene and a government minister who believes protest must remain peaceful.