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The following is copied & pasted from another forum
(1 of 3)
51811.1
Parkway Parade Starbucks awashed in sea of BLACK as netizens make a point
May 29th, 2011 | Author: Your Correspondent | Edit
The Starbucks cafe at Parkway Parade was awashed in a sea of BLACK as netizens make their feelings about the slow pace of police investigations into PAP MP Tin Pei Ling’s case known in public.
Ms Tin was under police investigation for allegedly flouting election laws on ‘cooling-off’ day, but there are still no updates from the police after two weeks, leading some to suspect if it would be swept under the carpet quietly like in the past.
A ‘BLACK’ Sunday was called by netizens to register their unhappiness over the matter. Though the venue was initially at Parkway Parade, it was subsequently changed to any Starbucks cafe in Singapore due to the ‘overwhelming’ response from the online community.
According to James Tan who was at Parkway Parade today, there were at least 40 people who turned up in black:
“We occupied the whole front section. All blacks. Easily 40, including about 10 who left around 12.30. There could be more who didn’t come forward.”
To show his enthusiasm about the matter, James even offered to buy a cup of coffee for the first 20 wearing black who come to him and say something about TPL.
Another netizen Ng Poh Chuen who came later described the scene she saw:
“Sea of black @ MP Starbucks, spilling over to New York and even to KFC! I m tt aunty tt stood on NY sofa taking video ”
Besides Parkway Parade, netizens also turned up elsewhere like Justina Ho who was at Woodlands:
“I went to Woodlands Civil Centre, a few couple there wearing black at Starbuck. But it sure look like quite a number of people wearing black walking around. Is it cos its 29 May or Singaporeans generally like to wear black?”
No police officers in uniform were noted at the venues though a netizen Jeff Tan thought he saw a police officer in plain-clothes:
“Just left the core group at Marine Parade here. A couple behind us watching and lady on her mobile and walking out urgently everytime she’s on the phone. She looks tom boyish, atypical plain clothes police profile. Both left at 2pm promptly so your guess is good as mine. Just made new friends.”
This is the first time Singaporeans from all walks of lives are standing together in solidarity to express their feelings simultaneously and spontaneously, a sort of ‘civil solidarity’ which is NOT civil disobedience or activism.
Singaporeans are not protesting, campaigning or advocating for any cause. They are simply coming together to ‘comfort’ one another and to wallow in ‘collective agony’.
At the same time, those who were unable to turn up also showed their solidarity by turning their Facebook profile pictures into black and spread the message on social media.
Though some sceptics have questioned the usefulness of such ‘civil solidarity’, it is nevertheless a good start for Singaporeans who have been living in a climate of fear perpetuated by the repressive PAP regime for far too long.
As Justina Ho put it succinctly:
“Small crowd now but a very good start. I don’t think its useless cos every thing start from small, even the courage to let others know you are unhappy. Being oppressed for too long does that to you. Next time we can organize a better meeting place.”
(1 of 3)
51811.1
Parkway Parade Starbucks awashed in sea of BLACK as netizens make a point
May 29th, 2011 | Author: Your Correspondent | Edit
The Starbucks cafe at Parkway Parade was awashed in a sea of BLACK as netizens make their feelings about the slow pace of police investigations into PAP MP Tin Pei Ling’s case known in public.
Ms Tin was under police investigation for allegedly flouting election laws on ‘cooling-off’ day, but there are still no updates from the police after two weeks, leading some to suspect if it would be swept under the carpet quietly like in the past.
A ‘BLACK’ Sunday was called by netizens to register their unhappiness over the matter. Though the venue was initially at Parkway Parade, it was subsequently changed to any Starbucks cafe in Singapore due to the ‘overwhelming’ response from the online community.
According to James Tan who was at Parkway Parade today, there were at least 40 people who turned up in black:
“We occupied the whole front section. All blacks. Easily 40, including about 10 who left around 12.30. There could be more who didn’t come forward.”
To show his enthusiasm about the matter, James even offered to buy a cup of coffee for the first 20 wearing black who come to him and say something about TPL.
Another netizen Ng Poh Chuen who came later described the scene she saw:
“Sea of black @ MP Starbucks, spilling over to New York and even to KFC! I m tt aunty tt stood on NY sofa taking video ”
Besides Parkway Parade, netizens also turned up elsewhere like Justina Ho who was at Woodlands:
“I went to Woodlands Civil Centre, a few couple there wearing black at Starbuck. But it sure look like quite a number of people wearing black walking around. Is it cos its 29 May or Singaporeans generally like to wear black?”
No police officers in uniform were noted at the venues though a netizen Jeff Tan thought he saw a police officer in plain-clothes:
“Just left the core group at Marine Parade here. A couple behind us watching and lady on her mobile and walking out urgently everytime she’s on the phone. She looks tom boyish, atypical plain clothes police profile. Both left at 2pm promptly so your guess is good as mine. Just made new friends.”
This is the first time Singaporeans from all walks of lives are standing together in solidarity to express their feelings simultaneously and spontaneously, a sort of ‘civil solidarity’ which is NOT civil disobedience or activism.
Singaporeans are not protesting, campaigning or advocating for any cause. They are simply coming together to ‘comfort’ one another and to wallow in ‘collective agony’.
At the same time, those who were unable to turn up also showed their solidarity by turning their Facebook profile pictures into black and spread the message on social media.
Though some sceptics have questioned the usefulness of such ‘civil solidarity’, it is nevertheless a good start for Singaporeans who have been living in a climate of fear perpetuated by the repressive PAP regime for far too long.
As Justina Ho put it succinctly:
“Small crowd now but a very good start. I don’t think its useless cos every thing start from small, even the courage to let others know you are unhappy. Being oppressed for too long does that to you. Next time we can organize a better meeting place.”
