Despite the recent announcement by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) that events and public assemblies related to the Israel-Hamas conflict will not be permitted, one individual has defied these regulations, having the audacity to do so.
Committing an illegal act is one thing, but openly sharing it on social media for public scrutiny is entirely different.
The subject of the investigation is a man who was found holding a sign related to the Israel-Hamas war at Hong Lim Park’s Speaker’s Corner.
Man Investigated for Holding Israel-Hamas Sign at Speakers’ Corner & Even Posting It Online
The Israel-Hamas conflict has claimed numerous lives and garnered extensive attention through news outlets and broadcast media.
If you’re an avid social media user, you’ve surely been educated about the Israel-Hamas conflict that has resulted in many massacres.
In light of the conflict, the SPF and NParks issued a joint release on 18 October 2023, which stated that all applications to hold events and public assemblies in Singapore about the Israel-Hamas war will be turned down due to public safety and security concerns.
Nonetheless, the following day, a man put up an Instagram post with a black-and-white photo, where he was seen holding up a sign that read, in full caps, “Peace not war. Israel stop the killing at Gaza! Hamas release all the hostages!”
The post has garnered over 400 likes as of today (22 October 2023).
According to CNA, the man has been identified as activist Gilbert Goh.
A different, coloured photo of Goh holding the same sign was also posted on the social media platform Reddit.
In response to these actions, the police have stated that they are aware of a man who held a sign related to the Israel-Hamas conflict at Speakers’ Corner, and investigations are ongoing.
The police further reinforced their rationale for prohibiting public gatherings related to the ongoing Middle East conflict, emphasising that organising or participating in such events without prior authorisation constitutes a legal offence.
The Israel-Hamas conflict began on 7 October 2023, when the Palestinian militant group Hamas entered Israel from the Gaza Strip, taking more than 200 people hostage and causing the tragic loss of at least 1,400 lives.
In response, Israel launched airstrikes in the densely populated Gaza territory, destroying entire city blocks and resulting in the tragic lossof over 4,000 Palestinian lives.
The death toll from the escalating conflicts continues to rise.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, over 3,300 people were killed in Gaza, and approximately 12,500 were injured.