Singapore Cracks Down on Protests as DR Congo Arrests Dozens in Parallel Assaults on Dissent
Citizens in Singapore and the Democratic Republic of Congo are facing intensifying state pressure on their right to assemble, with Singapore's permit system restricting peaceful protests and Congolese police arresting dozens during demonstrations against a presidential power grab.
Singapore's "permit regime" is undermining citizens' right to protest, raising questions about whether the city-state can preserve order without over-criminalizing peaceful expression [2]. The system requires citizens to obtain official permission before holding public demonstrations, effectively limiting their ability to organize freely [2].
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, police fired tear gas to break up protests in the capital, Kinshasa, according to activists [5]. The demonstrations were called by an opposition coalition against a proposed constitutional change that could allow President Félix Tshisekedi to run for a third term [5].
Dozens of people were arrested during the Kinshasa protests, activists said [5]. The government has not yet commented on the number of arrests [5].
Opposition groups say the constitutional change would remove term limits and weaken democratic checks on presidential power [5]. Supporters of the proposal argue it is needed to reform the constitution [5].
Both situations reflect a broader pattern in which governments use legal and physical mechanisms to suppress dissent. In Singapore, the permit requirement creates a bureaucratic barrier that critics say demands quiet obedience rather than protecting genuine public expression [2]. In the DR Congo, the response was more immediate—tear gas and mass arrests [5].
The events highlight the different tools governments deploy to limit citizen participation: from paperwork and permits to police force and detention.