Singapore—Police have arrested nine men in connection with a brawl that broke out on July 14, Sunday, outside a bar near a carpark in Duxton Hill.
A video published by The New Paper actually showed around twenty people gathered at the carpark, a small crowd that included both men and women.
The 46-second video shows groups of people threatening each other amidst several vehicles and then cuts to police cars coming to the scene. At the beginning of the video, a woman is seen attempting to prevent a man from entering a car park. A woman’s voice, screaming, can also be heard.
Later, people are heard on the video clip shouting at each other, and one man is seen knocking over a garbage can at the scene.
According to the Police, they received an alert that a riot had broken out at 5 Duxton Hill shortly before 6:00 in the evening of July 14. Nine men from the ages of 20 through 35 were later arrested by the Police for their involvement in the fight.
The Police are expected to release details about the altercation once the investigation is under way.
Section 47 of Singapore’s Penal Code says that rioting is deemed to be a criminal offence. Anyone convicted of rioting may possibly face a penalty of a mandatory imprisonment sentence of up to seven years as well as caning.
The New Paper quotes one witness named Ms Mon as saying, “My colleagues and I came out and saw the whole group pushing each other and we were wondering what was happening.”
Ms Mon had been working in a nearby establishment when the brawl broke out. She said that within five minutes of the brawl breaking out, six police cars came, with officers who quickly arrested the brawling men.
A spokesperson for the Police said, “On 14 July 2019 at 5.48pm, the Police were alerted to a case of rioting along 5 Duxton Hill. Nine men, aged between 20 and 35, were arrested in relation to the case. Police investigations are ongoing.”
Some netizens expressed concerns that the incidents of fights and gang activity in Singapore are on the rise.
While some blamed the fight on alcohol, others said it was a lack of parenting or discipline at school.
But one commenter said that compared to recent events in Hong Kong, this brawl could hardly be called a riot.
/TISG
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