International media giants to grace historic mass-protest at Hong Lim Park on 16 Febr
February 9th, 2013 | Author: Editorial
Media giants CNN, Bloomberg, AFP, Reuters and ABC news have indicated their interest to attend and report on the historic mass-protest event to be held at Hong Lim Park on 16 February 2013.
Similarly, local socio-media giants The Online Citizen, TR Emeritus and other renowned socio-political blogs will also be at the event to lend support and provide first-hand reports.
The event, hailed by the organizer as the historical event that could change Singapore is organized by Mr Gilbert Goh, co-ordinated by numerous socio-political blogs, Facebook groups and NGOs.
Probably for the first time in Singapore since independence, both the online and offline community have put aside their differences as to race, language or religion, but coming together as SINGAPOREANS to send a clear message that regardless of the Population White Paper being bulldozed through Parliament,
"6.9 MILLION IS NOT ACCEPTABLE"
Responding to media queries from TR Emeritus (TRE), Mr Gilbert Goh said that a lot of planning and logistics were involved in this event and his head is still spinning from the frenzy that the event has generated and I could hardly sleep the past few nights - wondering if all this is but a dream.
However, Mr Goh said that he is fortunate to have a group of supporters helping me with the planning and logistics.
Mr Goh said that he never expected the response to the event to be so overwhelming and was only mentally preparing for 200 people max!
"Never in my wildest dream could I anticipate the kind of response the event has generated so far and somehow I felt that it has also united the whole of Singapore into a mighty force ready to display their displeasure at the governments 6.9 million population White Paper."
Mr Goh noted that with co-ordination and publicity generated by both the online and offline medias and groups, by now more than 100, 000 people would have known of the event.
We are now expecting a minimum turn-out of 2000 people and this could even be a very cautious estimate! Mr Goh added.
"I must reiterate here that changes will not happen if you keep complaining behind your Facebook page but a united front of a peaceful nature is a different story altogether."
TRE understands that members of various opposition parties will also be there to lend support, in their own personal capacity as a SINGAPOREAN.
Despite the noises both online and offline, the Population White Paper drafted by the ruling Peoples Action Party (PAP) was bulldozed through Parliament yesterday (8 February) by 77 to 13 votes.
The ruling party, which promised to listen after GE 2011 apparently has very bad hearing problems and was not hearing the deafening noises generated.
Hopefully with the size of the turnout and noises generated at the event on the 16 February, PAP might finally realised that Singaporeans are talking and not just making noises.
Meanwhile, former Presidential candidate Mr Tan Kin Lian has setup an online petition against the Population White Paper at www.tklcloud.com/petition.
.
* TRE would like to appeal to all attending the event to behave in a mature, orderly and well-mannered way to avoid running foul of applicable laws.
http://www.tremeritus.com/2013/02/09/media-giants-to-grace-historic-protest-at-hong-lim-park-on-16-february-2013/
February 9th, 2013 | Author: Editorial
Media giants CNN, Bloomberg, AFP, Reuters and ABC news have indicated their interest to attend and report on the historic mass-protest event to be held at Hong Lim Park on 16 February 2013.
Similarly, local socio-media giants The Online Citizen, TR Emeritus and other renowned socio-political blogs will also be at the event to lend support and provide first-hand reports.
The event, hailed by the organizer as the historical event that could change Singapore is organized by Mr Gilbert Goh, co-ordinated by numerous socio-political blogs, Facebook groups and NGOs.
Probably for the first time in Singapore since independence, both the online and offline community have put aside their differences as to race, language or religion, but coming together as SINGAPOREANS to send a clear message that regardless of the Population White Paper being bulldozed through Parliament,
"6.9 MILLION IS NOT ACCEPTABLE"
Responding to media queries from TR Emeritus (TRE), Mr Gilbert Goh said that a lot of planning and logistics were involved in this event and his head is still spinning from the frenzy that the event has generated and I could hardly sleep the past few nights - wondering if all this is but a dream.
However, Mr Goh said that he is fortunate to have a group of supporters helping me with the planning and logistics.
Mr Goh said that he never expected the response to the event to be so overwhelming and was only mentally preparing for 200 people max!
"Never in my wildest dream could I anticipate the kind of response the event has generated so far and somehow I felt that it has also united the whole of Singapore into a mighty force ready to display their displeasure at the governments 6.9 million population White Paper."
Mr Goh noted that with co-ordination and publicity generated by both the online and offline medias and groups, by now more than 100, 000 people would have known of the event.
We are now expecting a minimum turn-out of 2000 people and this could even be a very cautious estimate! Mr Goh added.
"I must reiterate here that changes will not happen if you keep complaining behind your Facebook page but a united front of a peaceful nature is a different story altogether."
TRE understands that members of various opposition parties will also be there to lend support, in their own personal capacity as a SINGAPOREAN.
Despite the noises both online and offline, the Population White Paper drafted by the ruling Peoples Action Party (PAP) was bulldozed through Parliament yesterday (8 February) by 77 to 13 votes.
The ruling party, which promised to listen after GE 2011 apparently has very bad hearing problems and was not hearing the deafening noises generated.
Hopefully with the size of the turnout and noises generated at the event on the 16 February, PAP might finally realised that Singaporeans are talking and not just making noises.
Meanwhile, former Presidential candidate Mr Tan Kin Lian has setup an online petition against the Population White Paper at www.tklcloud.com/petition.
.
* TRE would like to appeal to all attending the event to behave in a mature, orderly and well-mannered way to avoid running foul of applicable laws.
http://www.tremeritus.com/2013/02/09/media-giants-to-grace-historic-protest-at-hong-lim-park-on-16-february-2013/