Where to “riot” in Singapore

Contrary to popular opinion, you can actually stage protests in Singapore. The government designated a special spot called the “speaker’s corner”  in Hong Lim Park, which is at the corner of Singapore’s business hub. It was established in 2000, and is supposed to be modeled after the speaker’s corner in Hyde Park, London. All you have to do is register for an allocated time spot here, and off you go! Well, except for a few stipulations:

– You can’t talk about racial or religious matters

– You can only protest in Singapore’s four main languages (English, Mandarin, Tamil and Malay) and related dialects

– You have to apply for a police permit if you’re a foreigner or a permanent resident of Singapore

According to a friend, there’s usually not much of a crowd. He told me that the audience usually consists of three homeless bums who gather to listen while the protesters spit their outrage.

More info here

Emily