By Lamin Njie
The Ambassador of the United States to The Gambia Richard Carl Paschall has said Healthy democracies require freedom of speech and peaceful assembly, speaking for the first time since protests rocked his country over the death of black man George Floyd.
“Healthy democracies require freedom of speech and peaceful assembly. Those who peacefully gather in our two countries and in democracies around the world to demand justice, an end to racism and discrimination, and meaningful reform are putting into action our shared values of democracy and respect for the human rights and human dignity of all,” Ambassador Paschall said in a statement published on the US Embassy Banjul official Facebook page today.
The experienced diplomat’s comments come as at least two protests loom in The Gambia over George Floyd’s death as well as that of Momodou Lamin Sisay.
The US ambassador said: “The response of Americans and Gambians to the tragic death of George Floyd is profound ‘pain and anger’, as well as a pressing legitimate need to express frustration and seek truth and justice.
“We must hear the demands for true equality and justice, and we must all as individuals, and as persons united in our determination, act in our daily lives to put into place a world that realises true equality and justice. That is my solemn conviction, and that of my entire team.”
