In light of George Floyd’s homicide, cities across the United States witnessed another night of protests despite widespread curfews as sporadic unrest continued across the country.
Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong took to social media yesterday (Jun 2) to exemplify the situation, calling for Singaporeans to stand united.
He wrote: “The protests in the US remind me of Lincoln’s House Divided speech: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Though the historical context was different, I believe there is a lesson here for all countries”.
He explained that the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will challenge Singapore in ways which may stress our society.
Calling for Singaporeans to always work together to be inclusive, he said: “Let us do more than “pledge ourselves as one united people regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society based on justice and equality so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation.” Let us act on the pledge and move forward with Unity, Solidarity, Resilience and Fortitude”.
The US has been rocked by days of civil unrest as protests swept from coast to coast. President Donald Trump threatened to deploy the military against demonstrators.
“If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them,” President Trump said during a brief address.
Throughout the nation, cities deployed squadrons of police officers in riot gear and activated national guard teams in response to the demonstrations.
Back home, Singapore emerged from its coronavirus shutdown after about two months of “circuit breaker” restrictions. Schools and many businesses have been allowed to resume. /TISG