To erase, dismiss, or destroy an idea without engaging it isn’t progress or unity. It is repression, pure and simple.

At The Fineprint, we call for dialogue. If unity is the aim, it cannot be forced; it must be built through conversation, not confrontation. Violence doesn’t create ideas — it silences them. It isn’t how ideas begin; it’s how they die when no one listens or when they’re suppressed.

Our mission is, and always will be, to deliver the full picture — even the soundbites that sting. We hope you read this with compassion for the victims and questions for the authorities.

What began as an application for a peace resolution gathering in solidarity with the Palestinian cause ended in a courtroom with potential charges instead of a gathering at Hong Lim Park.

Peaceful protest has always been a citizen’s basic right — a way to bypass bureaucracy and make themselves heard. History shows it can push governments to confront uncomfortable truths, sometimes even to rewrite policy or establish sovereignty.

In fact, Lee Kwan Yew's representation of striking postal workers in 1952 and student activists charged with sedition in 1954 earned him the reputation of a left-wing anti-colonialist leader.

To strip the right of peaceful gathering is to strip away one of the few direct levers citizens have in shaping national direction.

What Was at Stake

The protest was never about politics in the abstract. It was about lived reality: the sharp contrast between security and rubble, between schools that open and schools reduced to dust, between markets that thrive and markets buried beneath debris.

In Gaza, more than 60,000 lives have been lost since the conflict escalated in October 2023. In Israel, the toll stands at just under 2,000 in the same period. Behind every statistic is a story of loss, but the scale is impossible to ignore.

The imbalance of power is equally hard to miss. Israel fields one of the most advanced militaries in the world. Gaza’s civilians, meanwhile, are left with little more than stones.

Yes, Hamas has blurred the lines by involving civilians in its fight for sovereignty. And The Fineprint is clear: no harm to civilians is ever justifiable in any struggle for peace.

But it is the sheer asymmetry — in casualties, in capability, in global perception — that made the protest matter.

On the Palestinian side, the fight is for basic humanity and survival. On the Israeli side, it is framed as a claim to land rooted in divine promise. These competing narratives deserve scrutiny, and protests are one way to force that conversation into the open.

Amid the protests that never were, one shift did occur. Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong, issued a rare condemnation of Israel’s actions. The timing was not lost on anyone: it came after global momentum had already shifted.

Would that statement have come earlier if Singaporeans had been allowed to protest? Could it have made a difference to the death toll? Perhaps not immediately, but as a major trade partner of Israel, Singapore’s voice carries weight.

And so, the question is not whether protests should be allowed. It is why, when so many countries are moving toward recognition of Palestine, Singapore chose to censor the very citizens who sought to stand in solidarity.

Disclaimer: The content of this Article represents the analysis and perspective ofThe Fineprint. It is intended for journalistic purposes. All statistics and events cited are drawn from publicly available sources. The video does not advocate violence, endorse any armed group, or condone harm to civilians. Opinions expressed are meant to encourage discussion, critical thinking, and awareness of global events. Viewer discretion is advised.