Increased security measures required at Pink Dot 2017 due to “current security climate”

Photo: Oogachaga / Facebook
Photo: Oogachaga / Facebook

With Singapore’s annual LGBT pride rally Pink Dot due to kick off in a couple of days, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam penned a lengthy Facebook post answering the questions that people from both sides of the fence (pro or anti) may have asked in the past few weeks.

Things are really getting to a head this year — it’ll be the first time Pink Dot runs at Hong Lim Park’s Speakers’ Corner since the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) put an end to its foreign funding. Gone are the rally’s former major corporate sponsors such as Facebook, Google and Goldman Sachs, who’ve actively endorsed the event over the past couple of years. Ironically, this has bolstered massive local support for the rally.

Also gone is the allowance for foreigners to attend Pink Dot. The thing is, foreigners have always been allowed to attend events at Speakers’ Corner, but not to participate. Amendments to the Public Order Act came into effect last year, ensuring that anyone turning up at the event will be considered a participant in the assembly. Essentially, this restricts all events held at Speakers’ Corner to Singaporeans and permanent residents only. Anyone else who turns up will be breaking the law.

How will this be done, you ask? With iron cages and checkpoints to ensure that only those with proper documents can enter Hong Lim Park on Saturday?

Apparently so, according to Shanmugam, who notes that barriers will be absolutely required during Pink Dot 2017 — but only because of the “current security climate”.

This is what the minister said about the rally’s security requirements, in response to queries by Bryan Choong of LGBT counselling group Oogachaga:


We also spoke about the increased security rules for Speakers’ Corner (like conducting bag checks). The rules apply to everyone and every group. In view of the current security climate, increased security measures are absolutely required. We have seen terror attacks overseas, at rock concerts, festive markets and sporting events. Any large public gathering, with high profile, will be an attractive target. Pink Dot event will attract a large crowd and it would be irresponsible not to take security measures seriously at such events. The security requirements will also be imposed at other events, even outside Speakers’ Corner, depending on the estimated crowd size, amongst other factors. These points were explained in Parliament.


But what’s not explained is why Pink Dot organizers will have to bear the extra cost of setting up such measures on their own dime, especially when it’s a matter of national security.

But then again, it’s not that odd. Organizers of other private events (like concerts, marathons, etc) have always had to set aside budget for security measures like barricades and extra personnel to man checkpoints and gantries.



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