Following yesterday’s clash at Hong Lim Park, the PAP MPs, with the help of the mainstream media, are hard at work pushing only their side of the story and putting the CPF protestors in a bad light.
There were two events at Hong Lim Park scheduled for the same time yesterday resulting in some clashes. (Heated clash between #ReturnOurCPF and Event Featuring PAP MP Teo Ser Luck)
The #ReturnOurCPF protestors accused the YMCA event of having purposefully moved their event time to clash with their protest as earlier brochures and facebook notes about the event had indicated that it was going to be held at 10am. Then, a few days before the event, the time was moved to 4pm.
(See: Han Hui Hui: PAP Grassroots plan to disrupt CPF protest by drowning out our speakers)
The Police and NParks explained that they had allowed both events to go on at the same time because there is enough room in Hong Lim Park for both events. They said that they had allocated two different areas for the events and asked organisers to stay in their respective areas. Despite this, the CPF organisers who had previously received approval to March around Hong Lim Park, went ahead with their plans and encroached into the YMCA event’s space.
During the protest, attendees were shouting and shouted at Teo Ser Luck who was a guest of honour at the YMCA event and they shouted for the CPF back.
Mr Teo was calm and friendly despite some of the protestors hurling vulgarities at him and he handled himself well given the circumstances.
Nevertheless, other attendees of the YMCA event were not so tactful as they shouted inflammatory things at the CPF protestors such as “We love CPF” and “Get a job before asking for CPF back”. When the protestors are clearly speaking up about CPF, such phrases are obviously seeking trouble.
(Dear TRS, it was the YMCA that taunted the protestors by shouting 'We Love CPF' first)
During the conflict, the YMCA event went ahead with putting special needs kids up on stage for a performance and the protestors immediately toned down their shouts. Some even walked away during the performance and others started to clap for the kids. However, when mainstream media covered the event, they chose to highlight that the protestors were jeering at special needs kids.
TOC Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HKpNvzt33c&list=UUQ-SswkKwc_mzsGAk5Y0mFw
Based on this bias reporting in the mainstream media, many are left to believe that the CPF protestors were ‘evil’. For the protestors however, they felt angry that their last space to speak up was being intruded upon and felt somewhat victimised by the fact that the other event seemed to have been purposely moved to clash.
PAP MPs were quick to jump on the bandwagon and condemn the protestors despite not having been to the event and being unaware of the full story:
It certainly seems like it was an administrative blunder on the part of NParks to allow these events to occur despite them knowing the tone of the CPF protests from previous versions of the event (It is the fault of Nparks for the clash of events at Hong Lim Park today).
However, the biased reporting from the mainstream media on the whole issue has not helped at all in allowing the citizens to make their own decisions.
For those who were at the event, there were even some YMCA participants interested to hear what the protestors had to say and they were seen hanging around near the edges of the CPF protest listening to the speakers.
The MPs and the Ministers who did not attend the event were quick to jump to conclusions based on the bias reports shared by mainstream media.
Related:
Police: We are investigating #ReturnOurCPF Organisers for disrupting YMCA event
Roy Ngerng: My explanation of today's conflict at Hong Lim Park
Han Hui Hui and Roy Ngerg’s gang heckle YMCA Annual Event at Hong Lim Park