Six to be charged over public assemblies, processions without permit in support of Palestinian cause
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The offences committed by the women, aged 22 to 36, occurred at places such as the Istana and the State Courts. They will be charged in court on Sept 9.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
- Six individuals aged 22 to 36 will be charged over participating in and organising public assemblies and processions without permits, including events supporting the Palestinian cause.
- Some charges include participating in processions in prohibited areas like the Istana and holding events at Marina Barrage and National University of Singapore.
- Penalties include fines up to $5,000, and for serious offences, up to three years’ jail or both, especially for acts prejudicial to racial harmony or abusive behaviour towards public servants.
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SINGAPORE – Six women will be charged in court on Sept 9 over their involvement in incidents in prohibited areas, as well as participating in unauthorised public assemblies and processions in support of the Palestinian cause.
The offences committed by the women, aged 22 to 36, occurred at places such as the Istana and the State Courts, the police said in a statement on Sept 8.
In one case, a 33-year-old woman and a 36-year-old woman allegedly participated in a procession without a permit on Feb 2, 2024, along the perimeter of the Istana, which is designated a prohibited area.
They carried umbrellas imprinted with images of watermelons – a symbol of Palestinian resistance and solidarity – to showcase their support for the Palestinian cause, the police said.
They will each be charged with one count of participating in a procession without a permit in a prohibited area.
The three organisers of the public procession were convicted on April 30, 2026.
The two women in the latest case – along with two other women, aged 32 and 33 – were also allegedly involved in organising a mass kite-flying event at the Marina Barrage on Oct 27, 2024, to publicise a cause in relation to the Gaza conflict.
The four women will each be charged with one count of organising a public assembly without a permit.
The 32-year-old woman will also be charged with one count of using abusive behaviour towards a public servant.
The two 33-year-old women were separately issued a stern warning on Sept 2 and Sept 3, 2026, over an incident in which a banner was hung at Gardens by the Bay on April 15, 2024.
In another case, a 24-year-old woman allegedly led the chanting of the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” during an event that was live-streamed publicly on Feb 2, 2024.
She will be charged with one count of knowingly committing an act prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different racial groups.
She also participated in candlelight vigils on Nov 22 and Nov 29, 2024, and Jan 23, 2025, to mark the executions of three prisoners on death row, as well as a protest outside the State Courts, which is a prohibited area, on Feb 3, 2025, said the police.
She will be charged with four counts of participating in a public procession without a permit, as well as two counts of refusing to answer a public servant authorised to question.
The 24-year-old woman had previously been issued a 12-month conditional warning on Nov 30, 2021, in relation to a protest held outside the Ministry of Education headquarters on Jan 26, 2021.
She and a 22-year-old woman were also involved in a procession from Novena MRT station to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), located in New Phoenix Park, to deliver a letter on June 7, 2024, said the police.
The group issued a statement stating that they had walked towards MHA, and many of them wore shirts that said “There Are No Universities Left in Gaza”, the police added.
The two women will each be charged with one count of participating in a public procession without a permit.
The 24-year-old is additionally believed to have organised a public assembly in front of a building at the National University of Singapore on Jan 13, 2025. On this occasion, people allegedly gathered to place shoes and a white burial shroud at the location to protest against ties between educational institutions in Singapore and Israel.
For this, the 24-year-old will be charged with organising a public assembly without a permit.
The Straits Times understands that two of the six women are sisters who previously confronted Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, who was then also Minister for Law, at his Meet-the-People Session on March 12, 2025.
Those found guilty of participating in an unauthorised procession or organising a public assembly without a permit may be fined up to $5,000.
If the 24-year-old is found guilty of knowingly committing an act prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different racial groups, she may be fined, jailed for up to three years, or both.
The 32-year-old, if found guilty of using abusive behaviour to a public servant, may be fined up to $5,000.
