Occupy Raffles Place

Posted on 11 October 2011

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Following in the footsteps of Occupy Wall Street, protesters seek accountability and transparency.

By Terence Lee

I'm not sure whether to treat this seriously. Photo: rmlowe

I never would have seen this coming, but it looks like a bunch of people are seeking to replicate the movement in Singapore.

They’ve created an #OccupyRafflesPlace Facebook Page, and as I write this (11 October 9.11am), 44 people have indicated that they are turning up this Saturday at 2pm. The protest will be held at the “central square”, wherever that is.

Occupy Wall Street is a decentralized protest movement that started in the United States. It’s target: Greed on Wall Street. The movement has caught fire, spreading throughout the United States, showing no signs of showing down.

It has even reached the UK.

The public protest is organized by a group called Occupy Singapore, but I have no idea who’s behind it. But it probably doesn’t matter. Occupy Wall Street is a genuinely grassroots movement where the participants dictate the nature of the protest.

The Singapore government is unlikely to let this go though, since we know how intolerant they are of public disorder. I’d expect them to send down a few police officers to Raffles Place on Saturday to keep the peace.

However, even if a few brave souls turn up, I’m not sure the event will take off. Would the authorities step in to disrupt the group? Are people disgruntled about the economy enough to sustain the movement?

My bets are against it — I just don’t see how Singaporeans are open to this sort of thing. Even if they turn up, I don’t expect them to resist if the police officers ask them to disperse. We’re far too obedient.

Already, people who’ve comment on the Facebook wall are expressing much skepticism and ridiculing the effort.

We’ll see what happens next.

Updates: 

S’pore Police warns against attending Occupy Raffles Place protest
Occupy Raffles Place fail

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This post was written by:

- who has written 74 posts on New Nation.

Terence is an online media nut that is obsessed with writing and publishing on the Internet. Recently, he took up photography to expand his repertoire, and hopes to learn videography soon. He has worked in both online and print publications such as The Straits Times, Today, Mind Your Body, The Online Citizen, and Funkygrad. He is currently the assistant editor with SGEntrepreneurs, a website that covers entrepreneurship in Singapore and Asia. Terence can be found on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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  • serendib

    I wonder why they want to target their ire at Raffles Place/business? Sure, in the US big business owns the govt, but here govt owns the big business!

    • Danholy

      Agreed. This is one of the more mindless display of civil disobedience Singaporeans are getting themselves involved in. No clear cause, no clear demands. Just a bunch of unemployed middle income people with time on their hands.

      What exactly is the point?

  • Editor

    Maybe it’ll rain on their parade.

  • Chow Chow

    Saturday at 2 pm? Uh.. who would see? DUH.

  • SS2

    Well the PM did say recently that “we’re more open”..so let him walk his talk.
    Besides, you should check out the global movement also happening in occupysydney, occupysweden, occupydataran and many more cities. Is a protest to turn into corportocracy, which is what your GLCs and those MNCs in SG have become..Start holding your SWF accountable.  SG does not lack political will (in fact too much). We lack people’s will. Your article has the hallmark of that written all over. 

    • Terence Lee

      I don’t dispute that you right. To be frank, I just don’t see the need for this protest. But I’m tempted to head down there just to see how it turns out :P

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CYM24JKZHGMYL2L4YYSARRNM3I Benson

    SG is just a tiny island, any stupid movement the whole country is going to be affected badly, so does ourselves and our childen! We are not as big as some other country that can show display!

    • Fonezone

      people like you are useless and spineless.that’s why the dictators are winning. 

      • Xenogenesis D

        I quote Danholy:

        “Agreed. This is one of the more mindless display of civil disobedience
        Singaporeans are getting themselves involved in. No clear cause, no
        clear demands. Just a bunch of unemployed middle income people with time
        on their hands.”

        You’re one of them. Those who take part or have the same mindset, belong to the same group of people.

        • Fonezone

          You must be one of those sick cronies still licking their toes.Money is not everything and my net worth is higher than yours many times over,you knucklehead.

  • Fonezone

    the dictators are very very afraid that this will happen and all their scams will be exposed.

  • ben

    Occupy Raffles Place? Oh god, I see us Singaporeans AS USUAL have got it wrong. AGAIN. No you idiots, 99% of the wealth is with the government, who use it to build shit like the Circle Line and nursing homes, not in the hands of diabolical individuals bent on oppressing the masses. And don’t even get me started on the sickening racial bigotry in your dumbass arguments.

    • Ace

      Make sure you dont use the circle line and never need a nursing home then, else make sure you eat your words you so cynically write here.

  • http://www.facebook.com/mandy.mary1 Mandy Mary

    Except for the policemen and reporters, there weren’t anyone else. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VLQWD24UGUBYKS6KKGTZQCUUH4 s c

    Occupying Raffles Place will only drive off investor and cause many job loss. 
    Occupy Wall Street is OK because the crumbling of American economy causes alot of people to be jobless and families affected.  Yes, the American causes some bad effect on us but not Raffles Place. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/xinxin.xin1 Xinxin Xin

    The
    Central Square created by Raffles is now known as ______________.

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