Just read from TR that another coffee session happened yesterday. Looks like the BSM is gaining a life of its own. The organiser is a "Mandy Mary" from facebook.
This time a couple of matas showed up and harassed the group's photograher when he tried to snap some pictures. This has caused a minor outrage as netizens are quick to compare police efficiency between handling this incident and TPL's violation of cooling day rules reported last month.
Were any laws broken during this coffee session?
If the mata try to round up all the black shirts, will they risk igniting a bigger public reaction?
----------------------
Police harassed Singaporeans at Wisma Atria Starbucks
June 12th, 2011 | Author: Temasek Review
Instead of going after the PRC deliveryman Zhou Hou who posted seditious remarks online, the Singapore police spent precious public resources harassing Singaporeans having their drink at Wisma Atria Starbucks on Sunday.
More than thirty Singaporeans turned up in black at Wisma Atria Starbucks to meet up for an informal chit-chat session as well as to register their unhappiness at the PAP ministers’ obscene salaries.
Though they were only talking and drinking, the police found fit to patrol around them like a hawk as if they are criminals. When one of them tried to take photographs of the group gathering, a police officer by the name of Corporal Goh Choon Heng (circled in red in photo below) from Tanglin Police Division stopped him from doing so and took down his NRIC number:
Another unidentified Staff Sergeant was also noted speaking to the photographer. His NRIC was subsequently confiscated by CPL Goh. (more details in another article after we verify the facts)
(View more photos here)
One of those present, Mr Paul Tan described what happened:
“Police came to visit us black shirted Singaporean. Just walking around us n took down a photographer ID number who is also one of us. Everything is very peaceful. We didn’t create any scenes. It was those security guards in wisma feeling very tense. I saw quite an unusual number of them patrolling around us.”
It is not known why the police officer took down the ID of the photographer as it is not an offence to take photographs in public.
Paul felt perturbed at the heavy-handedness of the police:
“I think is a bit overdo. There are many outstanding cases waiting for the police to solve, so don’t you think they should spend more time on those cases instead of monitoring us peaceful civilian?”
One of the organizers Mandy Mary said the police even harassed the staff at Starbucks and got them to clear their tables even though they had not finished their meals.
Despite the police asking the group to disperse, they still managed to get some signatures on a mini-petition:
The police has no business absolutely to harass Singaporeans having tea in a cafe. It is perplexing and disgusting that the Singapore police chose to spend public resources on interfering with the private lives of citizens while ignoring the alleged crimes committed by PAP MP Tin Pei Ling and Zhou Hou.
Is the Singapore police good at bullying Singaporeans only but turn a blind eye to offences committed by PAP members and foreigners? The Singapore police seems to be above the law. Is there any way to hold them accountable to their actions?
Singaporeans should seek an explanation from the police on the behavior of its officers. Is it justified for the police to harass law-abiding Singaporeans meeting up for an informal gathering in this manner? What law did the photographer break to have his NRIC number taken down? Is the police ensuring public security or sparking public unrest in this instance?
Please direct your queries on this matter to SPF customer service at [email protected] or email the Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean (email: [email protected]) at his Facebook page here.
This time a couple of matas showed up and harassed the group's photograher when he tried to snap some pictures. This has caused a minor outrage as netizens are quick to compare police efficiency between handling this incident and TPL's violation of cooling day rules reported last month.
Were any laws broken during this coffee session?
If the mata try to round up all the black shirts, will they risk igniting a bigger public reaction?
----------------------
Police harassed Singaporeans at Wisma Atria Starbucks
June 12th, 2011 | Author: Temasek Review
Instead of going after the PRC deliveryman Zhou Hou who posted seditious remarks online, the Singapore police spent precious public resources harassing Singaporeans having their drink at Wisma Atria Starbucks on Sunday.
More than thirty Singaporeans turned up in black at Wisma Atria Starbucks to meet up for an informal chit-chat session as well as to register their unhappiness at the PAP ministers’ obscene salaries.
Though they were only talking and drinking, the police found fit to patrol around them like a hawk as if they are criminals. When one of them tried to take photographs of the group gathering, a police officer by the name of Corporal Goh Choon Heng (circled in red in photo below) from Tanglin Police Division stopped him from doing so and took down his NRIC number:
Another unidentified Staff Sergeant was also noted speaking to the photographer. His NRIC was subsequently confiscated by CPL Goh. (more details in another article after we verify the facts)
(View more photos here)
One of those present, Mr Paul Tan described what happened:
“Police came to visit us black shirted Singaporean. Just walking around us n took down a photographer ID number who is also one of us. Everything is very peaceful. We didn’t create any scenes. It was those security guards in wisma feeling very tense. I saw quite an unusual number of them patrolling around us.”
It is not known why the police officer took down the ID of the photographer as it is not an offence to take photographs in public.
Paul felt perturbed at the heavy-handedness of the police:
“I think is a bit overdo. There are many outstanding cases waiting for the police to solve, so don’t you think they should spend more time on those cases instead of monitoring us peaceful civilian?”
One of the organizers Mandy Mary said the police even harassed the staff at Starbucks and got them to clear their tables even though they had not finished their meals.
Despite the police asking the group to disperse, they still managed to get some signatures on a mini-petition:
The police has no business absolutely to harass Singaporeans having tea in a cafe. It is perplexing and disgusting that the Singapore police chose to spend public resources on interfering with the private lives of citizens while ignoring the alleged crimes committed by PAP MP Tin Pei Ling and Zhou Hou.
Is the Singapore police good at bullying Singaporeans only but turn a blind eye to offences committed by PAP members and foreigners? The Singapore police seems to be above the law. Is there any way to hold them accountable to their actions?
Singaporeans should seek an explanation from the police on the behavior of its officers. Is it justified for the police to harass law-abiding Singaporeans meeting up for an informal gathering in this manner? What law did the photographer break to have his NRIC number taken down? Is the police ensuring public security or sparking public unrest in this instance?
Please direct your queries on this matter to SPF customer service at [email protected] or email the Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean (email: [email protected]) at his Facebook page here.
