Activists Are Charged in Singapore for a Pro-Palestinian Protest Event

After pushing for the government to cut connections with Israel, activists in Singapore have been charged with planning a protest.

Three Singaporean activists are facing charges for organizing letters to be delivered to the prime minister asking him to cut off relations with Israel. Protests are strictly regulated in Singapore, and open rallies in favor of foreign causes are not allowed.

For the little country, which has a sizable Muslim population and close relations to Israel, the situation in Gaza has been especially delicate. Authorities have recommended taking part in discussions and charitable endeavors rather than holding protests over the issue.

In spite of this, many people are worried about the dispute, particularly the younger generation of Singaporeans who have taken to social media to express their views and look for a means to be heard. The activists organized a march in February that drew about seventy people from a well-known mall on Singapore’s main shopping district, Orchard Road, to the nearby presidential palace.

Social media images showed protesters holding umbrellas that looked like watermelons, which are symbolic of solidarity since they share colors with the Palestinian flag. The gang stopped at the prime minister’s office compound’s gates and gave the employees 140 letters.

According to the authorities, the rally was planned without a permit by activists Annamalai Kokila Parvathi, Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori, and Mossammad Sobikun Nahar. The women have not yet stated if they plan to enter a guilty plea. Police licenses are required for any public protests in Singapore, and the authorities have said that they will not issue permits for gatherings that support foreign organizations or causes.

The three women might be imprisoned for up to six months or fined up to S$10,000 (£5,800, $7,300). When they were released on bond, they looked resolute in their clothes. Ms. Amirah donned a scarf that resembled the keffiyeh, an Arab headgear that is traditionally worn to symbolize Palestinian activity, and Ms. Annamalai wore a T-shirt that said “Justice Now!”

The accusations were characterized as “part of the ongoing intimidation of peaceful support for Palestinian lives in Singapore” by the Transformative Justice Collective, which Ms. Annamalai co-founded. A statement from the police urged citizens of Singapore “not to engage in activities that threaten peace, public order, and social harmony” and “not to violate the law to express their views or imitate protesters in other countries.”

Israel and Singapore have a long-standing defense alliance that includes the exchange of weapons. Early on after Singapore gained its independence, Israel helped the country’s armed forces grow, and now the two countries work together in business, education, and industrial research. But Singapore has also voted in favor of recent UN resolutions calling on Israel and Hamas to end hostilities as well as earlier resolutions denouncing Israel’s illegal settlements, demonstrating its support for the two-state solution and the Palestinian people.

The administration has taken a neutral position since the Gaza crisis broke out, emphasizing that it will not put up with any behavior that could incite societal unrest. The Israeli embassy was ordered by the Singaporean government in March to take down a Facebook post that contrasted references to Israel and the Palestinian territories in the Quran.

The tweet was criticized by Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam as “insensitive and inappropriate,” and he issued a warning that it could “inflame tensions” and put the Jewish community in Singapore in risk.