Singapore police are investigating a 23-year-old Indian-origin man who allegedly threatened violence against the LGBTQ community here in a now-viral Instagram live broadcast, according to a media report on Saturday.
The man, Ambuj Pandey, said in an expletive-laden Instagram Live video that he would “make sure” the annual Pink Dot rally of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) would not happen next year and that he would “make it into a gang clash”, TODAY newspaper reported.
The bespectacled man can be seen ranting against the LGBTQ community, going as far as saying he would be “the reason why LGBT would no longer exist in Singapore”.
The video has since garnered over 8,000 views, according to the daily.
The annual rally typically takes place in May, June or July but was not held physically this year and last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In response to TODAY’s queries, LGBTQ rights group Pink Dot said it was aware of the video and that it contained multiple instances of expletives, LGBTQ slurs, specific threats of physical violence against the LGBTQ community and threats to disrupt and prevent the successful organisation of the Pink Dot rally in Hong Lim Park.
The park in the central business district is a specified site where protests are allowed under police permits.
In a Facebook post on Friday, the group also said that it trusts the authorities to take the matter with “utmost seriousness” as they have made “unequivocal assurances” that action will be taken against those that stir hate speech against the LGBTQ community.
“That said, we kindly ask that you do not share this video online, as it contains potentially distressing content. Please also refrain from exposing the identities of those involved,” it said.
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