DEMONSTRATORS OUTSIDE COURT; POLICE CHECKING THEM; DEFENDANTS ALLOWED INTO COURT COMPOUND; CLASH ENSUES, POLICE FIRE TEAR GAS; DEFENCE COUNSEL BEING CHAIRED; CROWD INTO COURT; DEMONSTRATORS CLASH WITH POLICE OUTSIDE COURTROOM.




Initials RM/V/RM/SGM



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Background: SUPPORTERS OF SINGAPORE'S LEFT-WING BARISAN SOSIALIS PARTY CLASHED WITH POLICE WHEN 317 OTHERS WERE CHARGED IN COURT YESTERDAY (WEDNESDAY) OVER ANTI-GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATIONS EARLIER THIS MONTH. RIOT POLICE MANNING THE TWO ENTRANCES TO THE MAGISTRATE'S COURT HAD TO USE TEAR GAS WHEN THE DEMONSTRATORS TRIED TO SWARM INTO THE COURT COMPOUNDS.

OF THE 317 DEFENDANTS, 102 WERE WOMEN. EARLIER, THEY HAD REFUSED TO ENTER THE COURTROOM. JOINED BY SOME DEMONSTRATORS, THEY CLASHED WITH POLICE. ONE POLICE OFFICER AND FOUR DEMONSTRATORS WERE INJURED IN THE MELEE. THEIR DEFENCE COUNSEL, MR. T.T.RAJAH, WAS CHAIRED INTO THE COURTROOM. ON HIS ADVISE, THE DEFENDANTS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS MARCHED INTO THE COURTROOM BUT THEN THEY SMASHED UP CHAIRS, BENCHES AND WINDOWS.

THE PROCEEDINGS WERE FREQUENTLY INTERRUPTED BY SHOUTS OF ANTI-GOVERNMENT SLOGANS. ONE YOUTH RECEIVED BANISHMENT ORDERS AND THE OTHERS WERE REMANDED TO STAND TRIAL ON SEPTEMBER 18. THEY WERE ALL GRANTED BAIL OF 500 SINGAPORE DOLLARS (ABOUT GPB60 STERLING). AT THE END OF THE COURT HEARING, THE DEFENDANTS CAME OUT OF THE COURT AND WERE JOINED BY HUNDREDS OF SUPPORTERS. THEY SHOUTED MORE ANTI-GOVERNMENT SLOGANS AND MARCHED THROUGH STREETS.

ONE GROUP BROKE AWAY AND BEGAN THROWING STONES AT POLICE AND CARS. THEY SMASHED STREET LAMPS AND ATTACKED A GROUP OF RIOT POLICE. MORE POLICE MOVED IN AND THE DEMONSTRATORS DISPERSED.