Six women to be charged with public order offences

SINGAPORE: Six women aged between 22 and 36 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 alleged offences related to activities concerning the pro-Palestinian cause and the death penalty, the police said on Tuesday. PROCESSION AT THE ISTANATwo 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 on Feb 2, 2024, which assembled along Orchard Road and walked towards the Istana, while holding umbrellas imprinted with watermelon images. The watermelon has been used as a symbol of Palestinian resistance and solidarity.

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 COURTSIn 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 the Penal Code.The charge relates to a public livestream of an event on Feb 2, 2024, during which she allegedly led chants in support of eliminating Israel, the police said.She will also be charged with two additional offences under the Public Order Act arising from separate incidents related to the Palestinian cause.The woman will additionally face four charges under the same Act, and two charges of refusing to answer a public servant authorised to question her under the Penal Code.These charges relate to 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 a Prohibited Area.The police noted that the woman had previously been issued 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 AFFAIRSThe same 24-year-old woman, as well as another woman, aged 22, will each be charged with one count of participating in a public procession without a permit.They allegedly held a public procession on Jun 7, 2024, moving from the vicinity of Novena MRT station to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) building located at New Phoenix Park to deliver a letter.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 BARRAGEThe two women who allegedly took part in the procession at the Istana will also be charged, together with two women aged 32 and 33, with one count each of organising a public assembly without a permit.Police said the four women each played a role in organising a mass kite-flying event held at Marina Barrage on Oct 27, 2024, to publicise a cause related to the Gaza conflict.The 32-year-old will additionally be charged with one count of abusive behaviour towards a public servant under the Protection from Harassment Act.The other 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 NUSThe 24-year-old woman will be additionally charged with one count of organising a public assembly without a permit over an incident at the National University of Singapore on Jan 13, 2025.Police said a group gathered in front of a building and placed shoes and a white burial shroud there to show their opposition to the ties between educational institutions in Singapore and Israel.PENALTIESThe offence of organising a public procession without a permit in a prohibited area is punishable with a fine of up to S$10,000 (US$7,900), a jail term of up to six months, or both.The offences of participating in a procession without a permit in a prohibited area and organising or participating in a public assembly without a permit carry a fine of up to S$5,000.The offence of knowingly committing an act prejudicial to the maintenance of racial harmony carries a jail term of up to three years, a fine, or both.The offence of using abusive behaviour towards a public servant is punishable with a fine of up to S$5,000. 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.