27 people arrested in a protest in Gambia over the sale of a former dictator's assets
BANJUL, Gambia (AP) — Protests in Gambia over the sale of a former dictator's assets led to the arrests of at least 27 demonstrators and two journalists, who were later released, police said Monday.
The protests in the West African country's capital of Banjul began after an investigative report by local media that accused the government of selling former dictator Yahya Jammeh 's assets at below market value. A group called the Gambians Against Looted Assets, or GALA, led the protest.
According to a government statement Monday, the sale went through a 'legally grounded process.'
'At all times, the government acted within the confines of the law and in the public interest,' the Ministry of Justice said.
'We condemn the (Inspector General of the Police) denial of our rights to protest and we will take none of it. We call on all Gambians to stand in opposition to this unlawful behavior of the police and come out in the thousands to take to the streets,' GALA spokesperson Omar Saibo Camara said at a news conference earlier this week. Camara was responding to the government's announcement that it had denied their request to protest.
A government commission was created in 2017 with the goal of looking into the financial dealings of former President Jammeh and his advisers. The commission concluded on Sept. 13, 2019 with a report indicating that the former president had stolen up to $362 million from the country.
His two-decade-long rule was marked by arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, according to rights activists. Along with political opponents, Jammeh also targeted journalists and members of the gay community.
Jammeh now resides in Equatorial Guinea.
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CBS News
28 minutes ago
- CBS News
Downtown L.A. curfew goes into effect after California Gov. Gavin Newsom addresses ICE protests
California Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered a statewide address on Tuesday in the wake of immigration operations that sparked days of protest in Los Angeles and the deployment of hundreds of National Guard and U.S. Marines troops to the area by President Trump. "Trump, without consulting California leaders, commandeered 2,000 of our state's National Guard members to deploy on our streets illegally and for no reason," Newsom said. "This brazen abuse of power by a sitting president enflamed a combustible situation, putting our people, our officers and even our National Guard at risk." The speech came on the heels of Mayor Karen Bass' decision to implement a curfew in downtown Los Angeles after five nights of unrest in the city center, and an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order filed by the state in its lawsuit to block further deployment of troops. That curfew resulted in dozens of arrests on Tuesday, with law enforcement swarming the impacted area as soon as it went into effect. Sporadic arrests followed. It was unclear how many were made in all. Since Friday, when the first operations took place in several downtown locations, protesters have taken to the streets to denounce the arrest of dozens of people. In some instances, protests have escalated into violent clashes that left an aftermath of destruction, including graffiti, looting, vandalism and debris. The next night, Mr. Trump declared that the National Guard would be deployed to Los Angeles to help quell the turmoil, despite opposition from California politicians who said it was largely unnecessary. That order was then followed by the deployment of 2,000 more National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines to the area as the protests continued, something Newsom called "fanning the flames even harder." "The President, he did it on purpose. As the news spread throughout L.A., anxiety for family and friends ramped up and protests started again. By night, several dozen lawbreakers became violent and destructive, they vandalized property, they tried to assault police officers," Newsom said. "This situation was winding down and was concentrated in just a few square blocks downtown. But that, that's not what Donald Trump wanted." "What we're witnessing is not law enforcement — it's authoritarianism. What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty, your silence, to be complicit in this moment," Newsom said. "Do not give into him." Los Angeles police and protestors face off in Downtown L.A. on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA. Jason Armond Curfew issued During an evening press conference, Bass said that since demonstrations have continued to escalate into violence, resulting in dozens of arrests and more than 20 businesses looted, she would impose a curfew. "The curfew will be in place tonight from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.," she said. "We certainly expect for it to last for several days." It runs for one-square mile in the downtown area from the 5 Freeway to the 110 Freeway and from the 10 Freeway to where the 110 Freeway and 5 Freeway merge. "The city of Los Angeles is a massive area, 502 square miles," Bass said. "The area of downtown, where the curfew will take place, is one square mile ... Some of the imagery of the protest, of the violence gives the appearance as though this is a citywide crisis and it is not." Protesters gather in front of California National Guard soldiers and LAPD officers guarding the Edward R. Roybal Federal building as protests continue in Los Angeles on June 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. / Getty Images Demonstrations continue Tuesday Dozens gathered once again Tuesday, but police were quick to close in on the growing crowd near the Metropolitan Detention Center. With the CBS Los Angeles helicopter overhead, multiple people were seen being detained and loaded onto buses by officers. At around 4 p.m. a small crowd moved towards the 101 Freeway, briefly entering southbound lanes before they were met by the California Highway Patrol. Some officers stopped traffic as others formed a skirmish line to prevent the pedestrians from moving further into the road. Despite law enforcement blocking offramps and onramps for the thoroughfare, the crowd was able to gain entry through a hole that had been cut in a chainlink fence. On Sunday, hundreds of demonstrators flooded the same stretch of freeway, where they clashed with CHP officers. At around 7:30 p.m. CBS News Los Angeles reporters said that tensions again escalated outside of the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building, where people in the crowd began hurling projectiles towards a line of National Guard troops stationed out front. When the curfew went active 30 minutes later, dozens of LAPD officers arrived outside of the building, which prompted much of the crowd to begin leaving the area. Still, dozens of people attempted to hang around, resulting in their arrests. It's unclear exactly how many people were taken into custody. With the CBS News helicopter overhead, a group of dozens were seen still moving through the area, some stopping to tag the side of buildings and Metro buses. By 11 p.m. most of the people who had previously gathered downtown appeared to have left the area. A crowd of protesters outside of the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles on June 10, 2025. KCAL News How it started The protests began Friday night after several immigration raids took place in the Westlake District, downtown and South LA. The CBS News Los Angeles helicopter flew over the locations where crowds quickly formed, and protesters attempted to prevent federal agents from placing individuals into vans. One of the 45 people arrested that day was local union leader David Huerta. The protests that took place over the weekend were declared unlawful assemblies and people were ordered to disperse and clear the area. In each case there were small pockets of the demonstrations that turned chaotic, which included hundreds of people converging on the 101 Freeway to block traffic on Sunday afternoon. That same day, several Waymo vehicles were torched to the ground by one group of people. The day prior, hundreds of demonstrators clashed with law enforcement in Paramount and Compton. Reporters on the ground saw as law enforcement and troops dressed in riot gear attempted to clear crowds by using tear gas, beanbag rounds and flash bangs into crowds to try and disperse people. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X that people who "lay a hand" on law enforcement officers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. So far, nearly 400 people have been arrested in the series of demonstrations, Newsom said on Tuesday. Protesters gathered in downtown Los Angeles on June 10, 2025, marking the fifth consecutive day of anti-ICE protests. KCAL News National Guard and military in Los Angeles The Marines began arriving in the LA area on Tuesday morning, a defense official said, joining the thousands of National Guard troops already in the area to respond to the protests. Acting Defense Department comptroller Bryn MacDonnell testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and said the deployment of the National Guard will cost about $134 million. On Tuesday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta asked a federal judge to provide a temporary restraining order to stop Mr. Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the U.S. Department of Defense from using the military and the National Guard to patrol the region and protect federal officers and facilities. The day before Bonta filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing the orders are unlawful and exceed the federal government's authority under the Tenth Amendment. "President Trump's order calling federalized National Guard troops into Los Angeles — over the objections of the Governor and local law enforcement — is unnecessary and counterproductive. It's also deeply unfair to the members of the National Guard who are hard at work every day protecting our state, preparing for and responding to emergencies, and training so that, if called, they can fight our nation's wars," Bonta said. Bass blamed the unrest in LA on the federal government's involvement, saying that before immigration enforcement actions last week, the city was "peaceful." During a speech at Fort Bragg on Tuesday, Mr. Trump called the protests "a full-blown assault on peace, on public order and a national sovereignty. He said that if it weren't for his calling in the National Guard, L.A. would be "burning to the ground right now" and that the majority of the demonstrations were allegedly "carried out by rioters bearing foreign flags with the aim of continuing a foreign invasion of our country" and that he would "liberate" L.A. Democratic California Sen. Alex Padilla spoke with CBS News' Major Garrett on Tuesday regarding the actions of immigration enforcement and the several days of protests. He said that while the majority of the demonstrations have been peaceful, "the folks that show up after dark and are involved with the looting and the vandalism ... we denounce that." He called the ongoing situation a "crisis of Donald Trump's making." "The increasingly aggressive and cruel tactics of the immigration enforcement is what's prompting the response of people who are passionate about speaking up for our fundamental rights and due process, because the enforcement operations have gone far beyond just the violent criminals or the dangerous criminals that Donald Trump has promised," Padilla said. "It's raking in people who are otherwise innocent, hardworking women and men, children." He also denounced the deployment of military troops to the area. "The National Guard, to your point, it's not only not necessary here, it's counterproductive. Their presence is what's causing people to feel a little bit more on edge," he said. "As things have been quieting down a little bit more each day, now he's capturing that, not with a deescalation, but now potentially sending the Marines. Donald Trump is escalating the situation." Padilla, who grew up in the Pacoima area, served as president of the Los Angeles City Council and represented the San Fernando Valley in the state Senatre, says that the matter is "personal to me." "Los Angeles is my home. I am the proud son of immigrants from Mexico who worked so hard, who sacrificed so much to live their American dream. That's what the immigrant community is fighting for," he said. Protests take place across California Demonstrations have also taken place in cities across California in response to the events in Los Angeles. On Monday, a crowd of over 100 people gathered in Santa Ana outside the complex of federal buildings in the downtown area, some of which threw fireworks towards law enforcement officials who used crowd dispersal methods like smoke-filled canisters and pepper balls in return. The situation was much more peaceful on Tuesday, with a smaller group of people protesting in the same area without incident. "When a peaceful demonstration escalates into rocks, bottles, mortars, and fireworks being used against public service personnel, and property is destroyed, it is no longer a lawful assembly. It is a violation of the law," said a statement from Santa Ana Police Chief Robert Rodriguez. "We will not stand by while our City is put at risk. Santa Ana Police officers, along with our mutual aid partners, are actively working to restore order. We urge everyone to go home." Tensions grew in San Francisco Monday night when police said two small groups of individuals committed vandalism and other criminal acts. Police said multiple people were arrested and detained after refusing to comply.
New York Times
34 minutes ago
- New York Times
Jimmy Kimmel Calls Trump an ‘Arsonist With a Hose'
Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night's highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now. Fake News On Wednesday, Jimmy Kimmel, who's based in Los Angeles, mocked the idea that protests against immigration raids have turned the city into 'some kind of totalitarian hellscape' — a notion pushed by President Trump (and some cable news outlets) as he sent in Marines and the National Guard. 'He wants there to be a war going on here, and he doesn't care who gets hurt in it. There's no riot outside. We have more so-called 'unrest' here when one of our teams wins a championship.' — JIMMY KIMMEL 'Not only is it not an apocalypse, they're having a Disney Pixar movie premiere right now, for 'Elio,' a movie about aliens. Don't tell Trump, he'll send the Green Berets in, too.' — JIMMY KIMMEL 'You know, when we had the wildfires that devastated big chunks of our city, he did absolutely nothing. Now that we're in the middle of a nonemergency: 'Send in the National Guard!'' — JIMMY KIMMEL 'Putting out a fire you purposely start doesn't make you a firefighter, it makes you an arsonist with a hose.' — JIMMY KIMMEL 'Yes, nothing calms down a situation like a military invasion.' — DESI LYDIC 'You know, I'm beginning to wonder if Trump is intentionally trying to escalate this situation because more chaos allows him to portray blue states as centers of crime, while positioning himself as the strongman that the country needs to rally around. No, that's silly. I'm sure he's just doing what's best for everyone.' — DESI LYDIC 'Now, as we speak, Trump has sent thousands of troops into downtown L.A. to quell what historians will remember as the Battle of That Video of a Burning Waymo Car They Kept Showing on Cable News.' — STEPHEN COLBERT 'And to those of you in the National Guard who have been thrust into this: When Donald Trump orders you to do something that you know is immoral, try to get your dad's podiatrist to write a note to say you have bone spurs.' — JIMMY KIMMEL 'The president of the United States has been tougher on L.A. than on Russia. Remember that two-week deadline he gave Putin to sit down for peace talks with Ukraine? As of tomorrow, it's two weeks. But, by all means, send the Marines to The Grove.' — JIMMY KIMMEL 'Trump's terrible policy has generated a huge backlash, which he's responded to by overreacting, which is going to generate another backlash. We don't know how this is going to end, but at least we know it'll be a huge waste of money.' — DESI LYDIC 'I just want to say, thank God for President Trump and the heroes at ICE for protecting us from these bloodthirsty fruit stand vendors, spreading their dangerous pineapple chunks and mangos with a squirt of lime all over the city.' — JIMMY KIMMEL The Punchiest Punchlines (Meanwhile on Fox News Edition) Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Trump defends sending troops to L.A.; Newsom warns democracy is ‘under assault'
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — President Donald Trump warned Tuesday that additional protests against federal immigration policies could be 'met with equal or greater force' than the 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines he deployed to try to quell demonstrations in Los Angeles. Trump, speaking to soldiers here, said California's largest city needs to be liberated and defended his decision to send thousands of service members to suppress what he called 'paid troublemakers' and agents of a 'foreign invasion.' 'This anarchy will not stand,' Trump said, referring to the protests. Later on Tuesday, in a scathing public address, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) accused Trump of a 'brazen abuse of power' for mobilizing the military, and warned that democracy in the United States was 'under assault' under a president 'who wants to be bound by no law or constitution.' He accused Trump of conducting a 'military dragnet' across Los Angeles, charging that his administration had gone well beyond what officials had initially described as an effort to go after violent and serious criminals. Instead, he said, the administration's mass deportation effort is 'indiscriminately targeting hardworking immigrant families' and sweeping up people without warrants on the basis of skin color or suspicion. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Newsom's address. Meanwhile, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that sparked days of protests in Los Angeles continued Tuesday, resulting in more than 100 arrests. The demonstrations also spread to other cities, including Austin, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland, Oregon. Most demonstrations remained peaceful, but there were scattered incidents of property damage and clashes with police. In Los Angeles, some blocks downtown turned chaotic, though most of the sprawling city was unaffected. The worst of the violence was limited to a small area near a federal building now being guarded by the National Guard troops that Trump deployed to the city over the weekend. Trump also ordered the U.S. Marines to the area, but there was no visible sign of them Tuesday on L.A.'s streets. That night, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) issued orders for a curfew for part of the city's downtown, starting at 8 p.m. local time and ending 6 a.m. Wednesday, a step she said was taken 'to stop bad actors' from taking advantage of the 'chaotic escalation' by Trump. Trump said the show of force in L.A. should serve as a warning that similar demonstrations in other cities would not be tolerated. 'If we didn't attack this one very strongly, you'd have them all over the country,' Trump said. 'But I can inform the rest of the country that when they do it — if they do it — they're going to be met with equal or greater force than we met right here.' Trump also said he could use force against demonstrations that may erupt in Washington on Saturday, during the military parade he plans to oversee on his birthday. The president's comments come as tensions have continued to escalate between him and Newsom and Los Angeles-area leaders over the administration's decision to deploy troops to the city. Newsom filed an emergency motion in federal court seeking to block the National Guard and active-duty Marines from enforcing immigration and local law 'on the streets of a civilian city.' The Trump administration responded to Newsom's emergency motion by calling it 'legally meritless' and said California's request 'would jeopardize the safety of Department of Homeland Security personnel and interfere with the Federal Government's ability to carry out operations.' U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer scheduled a hearing Thursday to review the matter. The motion had been part of a lawsuit California filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California challenging Trump over his deployment of National Guard troops without the governor's consent. In a statement, Newsom's office said that Trump's federalization of the National Guard 'puts every state at risk.' 'This order was not specific to California and suggests that the President could assume control of any state militia,' the statement read. Newsom amplified those concerns in his address Tuesday evening. 'If some of us can be snatched off the streets without a warrant, based only on suspicion or skin color, then none of us are safe,' he said. 'Authoritarian regimes begin by targeting people who are least able to defend themselves. But they do not stop there.' Newsom characterized Trump's unilateral deployment of U.S. armed forces to Los Angeles as the first phase of an overall decay in citizens' rights. 'This isn't just about protests here in Los Angeles. … This is about all of us,' he said. 'California may be first,' he added, 'but it clearly will not end here. Other states are next. Democracy is next.' The governor also referenced the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, calling it proof that Trump is 'not opposed to lawlessness and violence as long as it serves him.' In the address, Newsom condemned protesters who resorted to violence, noting that about 220 people have been arrested so far over the past few days. He added that 'if you exercise your First Amendment rights, please, please, do it peacefully.' 'What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty, your silence — to be complicit in this moment. Do not give in to him,' he said. National Guard soldiers have begun accompanying ICE agents as they detain people suspected of being in the United States illegally, U.S. officials said Tuesday. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement that U.S. troops are 'providing protection for federal law enforcement officers as they continue operations to remove the worst of the worst from Los Angeles.' If anyone attacks ICE personnel, the U.S. troops with them 'have the authority to temporarily detain them until law enforcement makes the arrest,' she said. 'The violence against ICE law enforcement must end.' A defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said that although the National Guard initially focused primarily on safeguarding federal property, they were now involved in ICE operations. It was not immediately clear Tuesday night when the shift occurred, the official said. ICE posted photographs Tuesday on X that appeared to show members of the National Guard present as people were detained in Los Angeles. The troops wore camouflage uniforms, helmets and body armor, seemingly providing a protective bubble around law enforcement as people were handcuffed. On Saturday, Trump called up the troops by invoking a rarely used section of a law that gives him the authority to do so when a president considers it needed to suppress a rebellion or foreign invasion. At a hearing before a House Appropriations subcommittee, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the deployments by saying they were needed to protect federal immigration agents. Hegseth estimated the mission would cost $134 million for 60 days of operations. Bass said Los Angeles police, working with state and local partners, had the situation under control and did not need federal intervention. She conceded that some violence and sporadic looting did occur throughout downtown on Monday and early Tuesday morning. The violence began after police pushed demonstrators back from an area around the federal building. Splinter groups of protesters — which Bass described as antagonists — then clashed with police and looted several businesses, including an Apple store. Los Angeles police said at least 94 people were arrested for failure to disperse and another 14 were arrested for looting. Two police officers were also injured. In Austin, police also blamed 'agitators' after rocks were thrown at officers during an anti-ICE protest on Monday. Someone also spit in an officer's eye, the Austin police said. Officers there used pepper balls and tear gas, the police department said. Eight people were arrested on charges including resisting arrest and harassment of a public servant, according to Austin police. Four officers were briefly hospitalized. Skirmishes also broke out Monday night and Tuesday in San Francisco. According to San Francisco police, two groups broke off from a large, mostly peaceful rally Monday and began committing acts of vandalism. About 60 people were arrested. Several more arrests were made Tuesday morning when protests erupted at an immigration court after ICE agents detained three people. When the agents' van attempted to drive away, a group of about 10 protesters attempted to stop the vehicle from leaving. The van slowly pushed the small crowd down the block until it turned a corner. In the hours that followed, around 200 protesters gathered and held signs protesting the detentions. ICE declined to comment or provide details about what sparked the disturbance. In Los Angeles, some protesters say Trump's troop deployments have left them rattled that the country could be sliding toward authoritarianism. Carlos Hernandez, a 67-year-old Salvadoran American who attended a protest there over the weekend, said the military response reminded him of dictatorships that long governed his home country. 'We are recycling repressive methods that were used in the past,' said Hernandez, a consultant and former college professor. 'We have seen tanks on the streets. … It's no joke, this is not a movie. It provokes fear.' Craig and Lamothe reported from Washington and Thebault from Los Angeles. Anumita Kaur, Ben Brasch, Aaron Schaffer and Marianne LeVine in Washington, Caroline O'Donovan in San Francisco, Maeve Reston in Los Angeles and Niha Masih, Kelly Kasulis Cho and Kelsey Ables in Seoul contributed to this report.
