20-year-old woman assisting police investigation after allegedly placing placards at Israel Embassy in Singapore

SINGAPORE: A woman is cooperating with police investigations following an incident where she was observed purportedly placing placards at the entrance of the Embassy of Israel at Stevens Close.

As reported by the Singapore state media the Straits Times, The police responded to a call for assistance on Monday (11 Dec) around 10:10 pm.

According to a police spokeswoman, the woman was reportedly seen positioning placards at the embassy’s entrance and taking photographs before leaving the scene.

Upon her identification, the 20-year-old woman is cooperating with investigations under the jurisdiction of the Public Order Act, which governs gatherings and demonstrations in public spaces.

The police investigation remains underway.

Screenshots circulating online depict a series of Instagram stories featuring placards conveying messages related to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

On a social media platform known as “X,” one user characterized the incident as a “one-person protest by a 20-year-old student.”

In the Instagram stories, the woman claimed to be sitting outside a security checkpoint outside the Israel Embassy at the time.

The woman displayed two placards—one adorned with a Palestine flag and the words “Free Palestine,” while the other called for an immediate ceasefire and the cessation of all trade with Israel.

According to the same X post, the woman reportedly left the police station safely on Tuesday evening following approximately an hour of questioning. It was mentioned that the police took a video-recorded statement but allegedly did not permit the woman to take notes with pen and paper during the interrogation.

There was allegedly a one-person protest by a 20-year-old student outside the israeli embassy in Singapore last night. ✊🍉

There has not been any press coverage about this. pic.twitter.com/L5YITL2Bip

— Elijah (they/them) (@elijahtaypeng) December 12, 2023

Singaporean activist summoned by police over solidarity actions at Speakers’ Corner for Israel-Palestine victims in November

In a separate development on Wednesday, Singapore joined 152 other nations in advocating for an urgent humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier in November, Singaporean activist Gilbert Goh was also summoned by the Singapore police for questioning as part of an ongoing investigation.

The investigation is understood to be centred around two incidents where Mr Goh was seen in his social media Instagram posts, showing him holding up a sign at Speakers’ Corner in Hong Lim Park, expressing his solidarity with the victims of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

On 18 Oct, the police and National Parks Board issued a joint statement prohibiting events and public assemblies related to the volatile Israel-Palestine conflict, citing substantial public safety and security concerns amidst escalating international tensions.

Defying authorities restrictions, Goh reportedly shared a monochromatic image on Instagram on 19 October, capturing himself at Speakers’ Corner, displaying a placard with a message that read, “Peace not war. Israel stop the killing at Gaza! Hamas release all the hostages!”

On 21 October, The Singapore Police Force (SPF) disclosed that investigations are underway concerning an incident involving Mr Goh.

On 6 Nov, a photo published on Mr Goh’s Instagram showed him holding a sign with the words: “CEASE FIRE NOW!” at the Speakers’ Corner.

In the description accompanying his post, Mr Goh wrote: “In solidarity with 2 million Palestinians at Gaza. In solidarity with those hostages still held by Hamas. ”

He concluded with a quote from Gandhi: “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”

Health Ministry in Gaza reports alarming death toll of 18,412

The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has mounted to 18,412, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Tuesday.

Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said that 50,100 other people were injured in the Israeli onslaught.

“Some 326,000 cases of infectious diseases were detected by health teams in various shelter centers,” al-Qudra told a press conference.

Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip from the air and land, imposed a siege and mounted a ground offensive in retaliation for a cross-border attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on 7 October.

The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stood at 1,200, according to official figures.