Police ID man who threw rainbow flag at food stall: Smol owner

An unidentified man confronts Smol employees over the stall’s rainbow flag in Jan. 18 surveillance footage. Image: Smol
An unidentified man confronts Smol employees over the stall’s rainbow flag in Jan. 18 surveillance footage. Image: Smol

Police have found the man who flung a rainbow flag at a health food stall employee in Lau Pa Sat.

While the identity of the man responsible for Monday’s ugly incident was not revealed, the owner of the Smol food stall, known only as Charmaine, said yesterday that he has been “located,” a day after she filed a police complaint. The police did not comment further when contacted by Coconuts today. 

“Thanks to the efficiency of the @singaporepoliceforce, the man in the video has been located. Investigations are ongoing,” the update on Smol’s Instagram said, days after a man hurled insults and a rainbow flag at employees, traumatizing one of the staffers on duty. 

Read: ‘Traumatized’ Smol staffer harassed over pride flag ‘so happy’ for public support

Smol has not responded to messages seeking comment since Tuesday. It’s unclear what law he might be charged under.

Surveillance footage showed the man enter the store and notice the small rainbow flag at the cash register. Visibly upset, he confronts the employees before grabbing the flag and throwing it over the counter toward one of them.

The incident has triggered widespread uproar in Singapore, where LGBT rights and recognition lag behind other major cities, leading to an outpouring of support from members of the public, including the LGBT community. 

One of the workers told Coconuts yesterday that although she was initially traumatized by what happened, she was delighted by the amount of love and support that had been shown since then by the public.

Other stories you should check out:

‘Traumatized’ Smol staffer harassed over pride flag ‘so happy’ for public support

Singaporean man triggered by small colorful flag hurls ‘homophobic abuse’ (Video)




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