'You post my daughter's picture. Is that nice?' 4 women attack shirtless man in Lavender, kick him in groin

He is a controversial figure on TikTok.

A TikToker known as Machaspize, whose real name is Gabriel Joachim Perumal, was attacked by several women near the junction of King George's Avenue and Lavender Street.

Several Stomp contributors shared a video of the assault, which started circulating online at the end of October.

In the video, Machaspize was not wearing a shirt and had lost one of his shoes, used by one of the women to hit him.

Terrified, he pleaded for help from several men nearby.

Four women ganged up to attack him and his shorts fell around his ankles revealing his underwear, which was held on to by two of the women, as another woman kicked him in the groin.

The women demanded that he apologise on video.

One of them said: "What my daughter do? My daughter just six years old. You post my daughter's picture. Is that nice?"

They eventually let him go after one of the men promised to ensure that Machaspize make the apology video. He pulled up his shorts and walked away.

The video is believed to have been taken on Oct 2.

After it went viral, one of the women in the video responded to netizens on Telegram.

In response to a Stomp query, the police confirmed that a report was lodged and said investigations are ongoing.

This was not the first time that Machaspize had been a target.

A May 25 police report about an incident in Tiong Bahru was posted on TikTok by a user named Justice for Machaspize.

The report said: "Saw on TikTok an influencer by the name of Gabriel Joachim Perumal was being harassed, threatened by two unknown suspects. They threatened to beat him up and caused him humiliation and fear.

"One of the suspects asked Gabriel to slap himself or he will be beaten up."

"They recorded his embarrassing and fearful moments on TikTok live. This is very unacceptable behaviour by the suspects involved."

[[nid:641312]]

Why was Machaspize a target?

Allegations in an online petition started in June on Change.org provide some context. The petition urges TikTok to investigate Machaspize and remove him from the platform.

"His degrading and harmful actions have disrupted the safety and security of the platform for users, all while pursuing his own social standing and personal brand promotion," said the petition.

"He first came to prominence as a symbol of hope and positive change, sharing his weight loss journey and numerous accomplishments.

"However, this positive image has been disturbingly eclipsed by his transformation into a menacing figure, wielding his newfound fame to propagate misogynistic, racist, and sexist ideologies – predominantly targeting women.

"His continuous objectification and degradation of women are undeniable and increasingly alarming... As a result of his views, countless threats and police reports have been made against Machaspize."

The petition has 275 signatures as of Dec 9.

Machaspize also recently posted a redacted copy of letter sent to him by the police on Aug 28, informing him that a police report was lodged against him on July 27.

The police said in the letter that no further action would be taken against him, adding: "However, you are advised to be more mindful of your interaction with other people to prevent similar allegations from arising in the future."

Stomp has contacted Machaspize for more info.

This article was first published in Stomp. Permission required for reproduction.