Alleged organiser of Guy Fawkes Day march charged

SINGAPORE — A man who allegedly organised a march in Singapore to commemorate Guy Fawkes Day last year, despite not having permission from the authorities to do so, was charged in court yesterday.

Jacob Lau Jian Rong, 23, is accused of being the person behind the illegal procession on Nov 5 that started from City Hall MRT Station.

The march, which was held to demonstrate support for the Million Mask March Singapore, and opposition to new Internet regulations announced by the Media Development Authority (MDA), saw 15 people in Guy Fawkes masks rounded up by the police.

It happened after hacktivists made online postings calling for 24-hour protests around the world to commemorate Guy Fawkes Day, on which there were protests in Manila and websites being hacked in Australia.

The MDA had, shortly before that, announced licensing regulations for online sites.

Guy Fawkes was a 17th-century British conspirator, the mask of whom was worn by a character in the 2005 film V for Vendetta.

Organising a public assembly or procession without a permit is a contravention of the Public Order Act. The maximum penalty for first-time offenders is a S$5,000 fine. CLAIRE HUANG