Senegal President’s Speech Marred by Fight
By Dioni L. Wise
The UNITY News Online
A man protesting Senegalese president Abdoulaye Wade was assaulted and physically removed from the McCormick Center West on Friday.
Wade spoke at the UNITY convention about the challenges his West African country faces as it deals with poor agricultural production and high food prices because of droughts.
The protester shouted during the middle of his speech.
A man wearing a light blue-shirt and cap hit the protester in the face, said Alphonso Van Marsh, a CNN London correspondent a witness.
The letters “PDS” were embossed on the assailant’s hat, Marsh said. The letters and yellow and blue represent the Senegalese Democratic Party headed by Wade.
Chicago police officers and the U.S. Secret Service stopped the commotion, said Monique Bond, Chicago Police Department director of news affairs. Bond did not release the name of the protestor because no arrests or charges were made.
She said the protester allegedly challenged the Senegalese security officers.
“Apparently the individual had no [convention] credentials,” she said of the protester. “At that point, there was a disturbance, and the Secret Service was also involved. In assisting the Secret Service, the Chicago Police Department did try to interrupt and to stop the commotion.”
Wade remained at the podium during the altercation while his supporters, dressed in light blue and yellow, cheered. He finished his speech after the protester was taken from the room.
Before Wade’s speech, about 30 protestors picketed outside the McCormick Center. They said he misappropriated government funds and does not protect the freedom of the press.
Under Wade’s administration, Senegalese authorities have used criminal libel laws to detain and question at least 15 journalists reporting political stories, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based nonprofit organization dedicated to freedom of the press.
Amy Ndiaye, a Wade supporter, emigrated from Senegal to the U.S. in 1990 and was naturalized two years ago. She arrived in Chicago from New York City on Wednesday to hear him speak at UNITY.
“They wanted to say something that’s not existing in our country,” she said, of the protesters.
Van Marsh said the Wade speech did not “pan out” like he wanted.
“I was looking for something a little bit substantive than an hour of him [Wade] explaining his plan for preserving the environment,” Van Marsh said. “However, I do congratulate NABJ for having a head of state at the conference.”
The National Association of Black Journalists sponsored the speech, “Confronting Climate Change: An African Perspective.” His appearance marked the first time a head of state from outside the United States spoke at a UNITY convention.
The disturbance did not ruin the session, according to its moderator, John Yearwood, NABJ treasurer and a member of the UNITY board of directors. Yearwood is the world editor at the Miami Herald.
“I see this as us giving the president an opportunity to answer tough questions,” he said. “At the end of the day, that’s what we accomplished.”
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July 25th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Dear brothers and sister of color,
with all due respect, inviting Wade to your ceremony participates in legitimating his dictatorial power. The physical assault that happened before your eyes is an example of how he rules Senegal, which used to be a model of democracy. the “man” who was assaulted, Souleymane Jules diop, is a Senegalese journalist and the people who assaulted him, according to a Senegalese news paper, are the presidents guards.
Wade will tarnish the image of your organization…
CT
July 25th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
The president abdoulaye lagging is a true dictator, he is worse than mugabe, he imprisons the journalists
July 25th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Dear brother and sister,
souleymane jules diop was one of few senegalese journalist who have the courage to denounce the tyrannic regime of Abdoulaye wade. senegal was a great democratic country but this president tarnish the image of this country.
If africa has the problem of poverty, it’s due by this kind of corrupted leader.
since 5 years we are fighting against his regime because Outside he is talking like a democrat but , he is acting like a dictator.
July 25th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
This President is one of the worst african dictator. In just 08 years he has destroyed completely the foudations of Senegalese Democracy.
July 25th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
This is a true example of what type of despot this President is. Every citizen has the right to voice his opinions, but his goons saw fit to physically assault this guy. It is a travesty for him to be standing on the podium talking about human rights and freedom of expression while the whole world witnessed the way he (and his people) really are.
As a Senegalese, I am ashamed to have him as a president.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
This assault confirms numerous emails that your organizations received before the arrival Mr. Wade, raising deep concerns regarding the rule of law in Senegal. As I stated in my email, Wade is a Mugabe in a making. This is what the Senegalese people experience daily. His evil intent is to silence the press in Senegal.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
This act shows what really this president is he is a tru dictature and will do anything for the love of power he call himself democrat but far from that. the senegalese people are struggling everyday and dont have no freedom of speech. what this president is doing is to create a legacy and implement his son karim wade.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Dear Brothers ans sisters,
Inviting a man like President Wade has been highly opposite to the will of the majority of senegalese people. After our people placed all its hope in Wade, he destabilized deeply the institutions of our republic, and let the interests of his family, fellow party members and friends prevail over the real problems of Senegal. Never democracy has stepped back so fast in our country. Never corruption has been so widespread. While the senegalese people is suffering from hunger, unemployment, poor health, floodings…Abdoulaye Wade installed a totalitarian regime, and do not hesitate to use extreme means to silence the voice of the people. The press is constantly being harassed, and the opposition oppressed in many ways. Only the ones willing to join his regime benefit from the care of his government, the people who put him to power being left to its own. Allowing him to speak on your podium has been, even if it was unintentional on your part, a big smack to the people of Senegal.
The barbarian act perpetrated against that fellow citizen who only tried to voice his opposition is a clear testimony to what Wade and his group are capable of.
Your organization, to keep its credibility before the people of Senegal, would earn a lot in dissociating itself to any man like Abdoulaye WADE.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Wade is one of the worst Presidents. This President has destroyed our country. Wade, in 8 years, has tortured more people than in the 40 years of the previous regime. You have to stay away from this President. He has recruited a milice specialized on killing and torturing the Senegalese people. He is using the taxpayer money to promote him image around the World while his people are dying. We have no food, no electricity, and no water. His own Chief of Staff is a pedophile and has been banned from the administration. His bodyguards are involved in all the political crimes. His Son, Karim Wade, is looting our economy by launching useless projects with the purpose of stealing the money.
Shame on you Wade
July 25th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
I am a senegalese citizen living in WDC metro area, right outside of the nation’s capital, the very place where liberty of expression and respect of civil rights are put on a piedestal. The USA is one of the greatest countries to live because of many things but specially for its first amendement.
I am outraged to say the least, to have seen my brother from senegal be assaulted by people very close to the president of the country I call MINE, with a lot of shame and hurt. On top of it, that person who was shamely assaulted today is a reputable journalist, one of the best in our generation, a living abroad now because of opression in senegal, who has worked for important news organizations in canada, his country of adoption. After having seen the video of the event that took place at McCormick place today, in Chicago, while your organization had invited Abdoulaye Wade to speak, video posted on many internet sites, only desolation comes to my heart.
Two questions come to my mind: did your organization do some research about the person (Abdoulaye Wade) who was invited to speak? do you REALLY know what this man is doing in his home country and what his “people” are doing to innocent people, physically, morally, emotionally? All you needed to do was to use “google” to find out.
This has to stop. We hope that your organization will firmly condemn what happened and will alert the international media to put this machinery to a stop once and for all. This has to stop. Again another journalist assaulted and hurt. But at least, this time, we have the images and we cannot, we SHOULD NOT ignore them as if they never happened.
You are our voice!!!
July 26th, 2008 at 12:17 am
Hopefully the many reactions on this blog should be an eye opener to what’s happening right now in Senegal it is not fiction . The President and his “Entourage” are not deserving of such Privilege a to be invited in Chicago or anywhere else to speak on any matter regarding Senegal . /
This unfortunate event had happen to others just like him with no results , we just have to suck up and take it .
A letter of apology should be sent to JULES DIOP who was invited by your Organization and got treated like an animal in front of Cameras and those images were seen by millions of peoples all over the world it just cannot go unpunished like that , as someone said earlier yo are OUR VOICE so let it be heard.
I just Loved Jules Diop strategy for choosing the right time the right place to Protest in the name of the Senegalese Nation in the right Country . May God Bless the USA
Washington DC
July 26th, 2008 at 1:34 am
I am outraged by this. Wade should not have been invited. On another note, Jules Diop should have waited until the end of the speech to denounce any thing. I codemn both sides. Wade is an idiot and should be impeached/ removed from the presidency.
July 26th, 2008 at 1:39 am
like everyoady else testify this man is the twin brother of hitler you have one choice in his government be with him or shut up forever while his people suffer everyday he is buying airplane while his people suffer he is selling half of the land we have to the arabic people, while his people suffer his increasing the salary of his appostle i said appostle cause he think he is a prophet. nobady i mean nobady have the right to denounce what he is doing to our poor country and the few men who says knows are killed or are in jails or are beaten like jules diop me listening to his body guards and entourage cursin in aour language wolof to that man is developing in me a killer instinct that i never thought was in me. when i go home people are trying so hard to have one meal a day while his entourage are driving the latest benz or bmw it’s a shame that a man can watch the people he supposively love suffer that much and not do a damn thing about it
July 26th, 2008 at 3:37 am
This email in compassion with our fellow citizen Souleymane Jules Diop an opposant to Wade regime who was widely attacked in your convention by wade’s man. That’s a shame because many a man would do what he did yesterday but most of senegales people are struggling for to eat at least one dish per day.
So thank you to Mister Diop who left Montreal to come in Chicago to defend senegal democracy.
All senegaleses from around the world mark their solidarity also. You have to know that. And we expect that M. Diop will be released by Chicago police and apologized by your organisation for being beatted during your activities because he is a soldier of democracy and freedom of speech.
The choice of Mister Wade a truly silent dictator was surprising for us and above all the violent events during your convention do not honored senegales people nor your convention by Wade fault.
You shouldn’t invite him dear “Unity”.
Sincerely
July 26th, 2008 at 7:42 am
My dear Brothes and Sisters,
I know how hard you are trying to bring the african people together. It will impossible to do so as long as you have criminals like Wade as head of state. This guy is a true liar, he is a dictator and he is a criminal. anyone that stands on his way, must die. He is worst than the worst African president. You talking about someone who kills judges, magistrates who disagree with him. He his over 90 years old and he is still clinging on to power. Don’t even bother with him.
Peace out,
July 26th, 2008 at 11:49 am
We can see how the one who claims a 27-years struggle for “democracy” is treating those who dare espress an opinion that does match his own.
Congrat to SJD who bringing words into action!
“IF SOMETHING IS NOT WORTH DYING FOR THAN IT ‘S WORTH LIVING FOR”
July 26th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
a journalist was savagely beaten by the Senegales police just a month ago at a soccer match. the only crime he commited was to write about mischiefs of our beloved Mr.Wade. the funniest part is that after the journalist was rolled out of a rough hospital stay , the officers were depicted as victims and the journalists as agressors by the propaganda machine of the president.
this event is not news to those who are living under the Tirant, and his son who soon will replace him as head of state.
I wonder, what is democratic about all this?
July 26th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Shame on Unity Journalist for inviting this DICTATOR.
You’ve seen first hand how his Tax-payer-money paid entourage treats a journalist who wanted just to speak his mind, and IN FRONT OF OTHER JOURNALISTS.
Imagine only what the journalists in Senegal are going thu far from the cameras and witnesses.
July 27th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
[...] UPDATE: Unity 2008’s online news service has covered the incidents: ”President of Senegal: Too Many Journalists,” “Press Freedom Advocates Protest,” ”Protest Turns Violent,” “Speech Marred by Fight.” [...]
July 29th, 2008 at 12:30 am
Wade is nothing but tin pot despot in the mold of Mugabe and I think that the NABJ`s should investigate it`s leadership for not only a lack of judgement but also who financed their so called fact finding mission to Senegal for the simple fact that Wade is known for offering bribes to visiting journalists.
Just last week the Senegalese constitution was amended by the rubber stamp national Assembly and the appointed senate to extend his presidential term from five years to seven years even-tough it is stipulated by the Senegalese constitution that it can only be done with a referendum.
Just a month ago Ipres the Senegalese equivalent of the social security administration sold half of the shares it own in one of the most rent able Telecommunication company in west Africa named SONATEL a succursal of France Telecoms the lucky buyer is Wade telecommunication adviser who also the son of the minister of interior .
Two municipal Stadium in Dakar were sold one to the mayor of Dakar and the other to the Chinese.
Recently parcel of land inside the airport owned by Asecna the equivalent of the FAA were sold to Wade Family members.
In Houston Texas they created a new Senegalese consulate General so that wade nieces who was working as a barista at Starbucks can be nominated as a diplomat.
I can go on and on for hours now will Ms Ciara explain to us why Wade was invited knowing he is the head of a large mafia organisation?