Six women to be charged with public order offences
The women, aged between 22 and 36, will be charged in court over their alleged involvement in unpermitted public assemblies related to the Palestinian cause and other similar activities.
File photo of the State Courts in Singapore.
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SINGAPORE: Six women will be charged in court on Wednesday (Sep 9) under the Public Order Act over their alleged involvement in public assemblies and processions without a permit, as well as in various incidents in prohibited areas.
The unpermitted activities that the women, aged between 22 and 36, were allegedly involved in relate to issues involving the pro-Palestinian cause and the death penalty, said the police on Tuesday.
PROCESSION AT THE ISTANA
Two of them, aged 33 and 36, will each be charged with one count of participating in a procession without a permit in a prohibited area.
They allegedly joined a group in one such procession on Feb 2, 2024. The group had assembled along Orchard Road and walked towards the Istana, holding umbrellas imprinted with watermelon images – noted to symbolise Palestinian resistance and solidarity – to show support for the Palestinian cause, the police said.
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The police noted that the Istana is security-sensitive area and is designated as a Prohibited Area. The organisers of the procession were earlier convicted and fined S$3,000 each in April 2026.
EVENT OUTSIDE THE STATE COURTS
In another case, a 24-year-old woman will be charged with one count of “knowingly committing an act prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different racial groups” under Section 298A(b) of the Penal Code.
This was in relation to a chant she had allegedly made during the public livestream of an event on Feb 2, 2024. She was leading the chanting of a phrase in support of eliminating Israel, said the police.
She will also be charged with two additional offences under the Public Order Act arising from separate incidents related to the Palestinian cause.
Additionally, she will be handed four charges under the same Act and two of refusing to answer a public servant authorised to question under Section 179 of the Penal Code.
These charges are for her alleged participation in candlelight vigils to mark the executions of three convicted drug traffickers on Nov 22 and Nov 29, 2024, and on Jan 23, 2025, as well as a protest outside the State Courts on Feb 3, 2025. The State Courts are also a Prohibited Area.
The police noted that the woman had been given a 12-month conditional warning on Nov 30, 2021, for taking part in a public assembly without a permit and contravening a “move-on” direction to leave by the police, both offences under the Public Order Act, in relation to a protest held outside the Ministry of Education headquarters on Jan 26, 2021.
PUBLIC PROCESSION TO THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
The 24-year-old woman, as well as a 22-year-old woman, will each be charged with one count of participating in a public procession without a permit.
They had allegedly held a public procession, moving from the vicinity of Novena MRT station to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) building located at New Phoenix Park, for a letter delivery on Jun 7, 2024.
The group also issued a statement saying that they had walked towards MHA, with many of them wearing shirts that read “There Are No Universities Left in Gaza”, the police said.
UNPERMITTED PUBLIC ASSEMBLY AT MARINA BARRAGE
The two women who were allegedly involved in the procession at the Istana will also be charged, together with a 32-year-old woman and a second 33-year-old woman, with one count each of organising a public assembly without a permit.
The four of them had each played a role in organising a mass kite-flying event held at Marina Barrage on Oct 27, 2024, to publicise a cause in relation to the Gaza conflict, said the police.
The 32-year-old will additionally be charged with one count of abusive behaviour towards a public servant under the Protection from Harassment Act 2014.
The second 33-year-old woman was also issued a stern warning on Sep 3 for her involvement in a case where a banner was hung at Gardens by the Bay on Apr 15, 2024, the police added.
STAGED MEMORIAL AT NUS
The 24-year-old woman will be additionally charged with one count of organising a public assembly without a permit in relation to an incident that occurred in front of a building within the National University of Singapore on Jan 13, 2025.
The group gathered various individuals to place shoes and a white burial shroud at the location to show their opposition to the ties between educational institutions in Singapore and Israel, the police said.
PENALTIES
Under the Public Order Act, the offence of organising a public procession without a permit in a prohibited area is punishable with a fine of up to S$10,000, a jail term of up to six months, or both.
In its news release, the police said that public assemblies in Singapore are regulated under the Public Order Act, and that organising or participating in a public assembly without a police permit here constitutes an offence under the Act.
“The police will not grant any permit for assemblies that advocate political causes of other countries or foreign entities, or may have the potential to stir emotions and lead to public order incidents,” they said.
“The peace and harmony between different races and religions in Singapore should not be taken for granted, and we must not let events happening externally affect the communal harmony.”
They further urged members of the public not to take part in activities that will damage the peace, public order and social harmony in Singapore. Instead, people should participate in forums, dialogues and donation drives that have been appropriately organised on the issue, the police said.
Source: CNA/dy(kg)
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