Police question 6 students over Gaza war memorial held at NUS

Six people have been questioned by the police over their alleged involvement in a Jan 13 memorial event held at the National University of Singapore (NUS) without a valid permit.

In a media statement on March 7, the police said they had visited the residences of the six people - aged between 21 and 28 - on Feb 27, to investigate their alleged connection to the incident.

The event on Jan 13 was held in support of the Palestinian cause, and also called for universities in Singapore to reconsider ties with Israeli institutions, said the police, citing a social media post. "The police take no issue with such calls. People are free to make such (or other) calls, as long as it is not against the law," the police said in their statement.

"But if persons want to have a public assembly, then they have to get a police permit, under the Public Order Act 2009. No police permit was obtained for this event." In a Jan 13 statement, Students For Palestine Singapore, the group behind the event, said 124 students and alumni took part in the memorial.

Some 124 pairs of shoes and a shroud were placed in front of the Create research building on campus, to "mourn and honour" Palestinian students who died in the Israel-Hamas war, according to the group.

It added that the building was chosen because it houses a research alliance with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During the visits on Feb 27, three people were present in their residence and preferred to have their statements recorded there, said the police, adding that one other person requested to be interviewed the next day. That person was interviewed by the police at Clementi Police Division on Feb 28.

The police added that the remaining two people were not available for interviews during these visits, and they were issued a written notice for an in-person interview on Feb 28 at Clementi Police Division. Citing the Criminal Procedure Code, the police said their powers of investigation include conducting searches for, accessing, inspecting, and checking any devices used in connection with an offence.

Communication devices and clothing that are believed to be related to the offence were seized for investigation purposes, said the police.

They said: "This is done in many investigations, because such devices often contain relevant evidence."