Singapore detains Spanish newlyweds over football protest

Singapore has some of the world’s strictest laws on public assembly, which includes assemblies even of one person.

The government says these laws are necessary to maintain order and safety.

In 2020, a Singaporean activist who had long campaigned for freedom of speech was arrested for posing with a placard of a smiley face.

Shortly after arriving in Singapore on Thursday, Mr Cuesta posted on X that he would “take some photos with my lovely flag”, which reads “Lim Go Home”.

Mr Lim is deeply unpopular with Valencia fans, who have seen their club’s fortunes decline significantly over the course of his ten year tenure.

Encouraged by users online, Mr Cuesta posted a series of photos of himself at various tourist spots in Singapore holding the yellow banner.

Another image shows him outside what is believed to be the luxury complex where Mr Lim lives in Singapore.

A video he posted shows Mr Cuesta placing a yellow sticker reading “Lim out” – a common sight in the city of Valencia – on the residence’s gate.

The images quickly went viral among Valencia fans and Mr Cuesta even gave a light-hearted interview to a Valencia football podcast on Thursday.

He explained that as soon as his wife suggested going to Singapore, he had a “lightbulb moment” and decided to bring a banner and some stickers, which he placed on lampposts around the city.

“I told her ‘this is something I have to do’… perhaps it will be for nothing but it sends the message that we don’t want these people in Valencia,” Mr Cuesta told Tribuna Deportiva.

“I’ve not been detained yet,” he joked. “My wife’s been reading up about the laws in Singapore – she’s looking forward to getting through immigration tomorrow.”