Activist groups and civic organizations plan to take to the streets for a major anti-government protest in Taipei today, which will culminate in the evening with the occupation of the roadway plaza in front of the Presidential Office.
Organizers said they expect up to tens of thousands of participants to show up to denounce what they described as the political wrangling and abuse of power by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
Protesters will assemble on Ketagalan Boulevard starting at 4pm.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
The groups are calling on all citizens “to join the rally and express your anger at Ma, to save Taiwan” for the Sept. 29 anti-Ma protest. There will be a counterpart anti-government demonstration in Greater Kaohsiung today.
Groups representing youths, students, women, labor and civil society organizations will take part in the protest.
Yang Tsu-kuang (楊子廣), son of the debt-ridden taxi driver Liu Chin-yi (劉進義), who committed suicide two weeks ago, reportedly out of frustration at Ma’s mishandling of the national economy, urged people to join today’s protest.
“All citizens should stand up to express their anger at those in power. It is these men, who have the power to change the current situation, who have ignored what is happening to our society, and this led to my father’s suicide. Although I cannot change society, I will get back at those who hold political power,” Yang said.
The date was chosen because the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) had been scheduled to hold its 19th National Congress at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei that day. The KMT later postponed the congress and changed the venue, likely to Chungshan Hall on Yangmingshan on Oct. 26, saying it was doing so out of concern for public safety.
However, activists said the anti-government protest would still go ahead today.
The activities will begin in the morning with the “Alliance for Citizen Actions to Oust Ma” groups to gather near the official presidential residence, on Chongching S Road Sec. 2.
In the afternoon, starting at 1 pm at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, the National Alliance for Workers of Closed Factories (全國關廠工人連線) is organizing a “Shoe-In” action, in which shoes and slippers will be thrown into a pile.
A foot race will be held at 3pm to mock Ma “running scared and hiding from the people.”
“Besides workers, activists against urban renewal projects and land expropriations, as well as some of the victims of such projects will take part,” alliance spokeswoman Chen Hsiu-lien (陳秀蓮) said.
The various groups will assemble at Ketagalan Boulevard at 4pm for the main evening rally, which is to be convened by Ge Shu-ren (葛樹人) and other media personalities.
The rally to call on Ma to step down will have a series of activities and invite each demonstrator to speak give their views for one minute throughout the course of the evening.
“We need a positive force to uplift our society. I call on those who are fed up with the political system and dissatisfied with our political leaders to join us and let them know your anger,” Ge said.
Authorities said police would provide traffic control and security measures at areas around the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and Ketagalan Boulevard, while requesting the public to be aware of the protest and road closures.
‘CROWN JEWEL’: Washington ‘can delay and deter’ Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans for Taiwan, but it is ‘a very delicate situation there,’ the secretary of state said US President Donald Trump is opposed to any change to Taiwan’s “status quo” by force or extortion and would maintain that policy, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Hugh Hewitt Show host on Wednesday. The US’ policy is to maintain Taiwan’s “status quo” and to oppose any changes in the situation by force or extortion, Rubio said. Hewitt asked Rubio about the significance of Trump earlier this month speaking with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) at the White House, a meeting that Hewitt described as a “big deal.” Asked whether the meeting was an indication of the
‘RELATIVELY STRONG LANGUAGE’: An expert said the state department has not softened its language on China and was ‘probably a little more Taiwan supportive’ China’s latest drills near Taiwan on Monday were “brazen and irresponsible threats,” a US Department of State spokesperson said on Tuesday, while reiterating Washington’s decades-long support of Taipei. “China cannot credibly claim to be a ‘force for stability in a turbulent world’ while issuing brazen and irresponsible threats toward Taiwan,” the unnamed spokesperson said in an e-mailed response to media queries. Washington’s enduring commitment to Taiwan will continue as it has for 45 years and the US “will continue to support Taiwan in the face of China’s military, economic, informational and diplomatic pressure campaign,” the e-mail said. “Alongside our international partners, we firmly
KAOHSIUNG CEREMONY: The contract chipmaker is planning to build 5 fabs in the southern city to gradually expand its 2-nanometer chip capacity Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, yesterday confirmed that it plans to hold a ceremony on March 31 to unveil a capacity expansion plan for its most advanced 2-nanometer chips in Kaohsiung, demonstrating its commitment to further investment at home. The ceremony is to be hosted by TSMC cochief operating officer Y.P. Chyn (秦永沛). It did not disclose whether Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and high-ranking government officials would attend the ceremony. More details are to be released next week, it said. The chipmaker’s latest move came after its announcement earlier this month of an additional US$100 billion
COUNTERING THE PLA: While the US should reinforce its relations with partners and allies, Taiwan must invest in strengthening its defenses as well, Phillip Davidson said If influence in the Indo-Pacific region is one of the US’ core interests, then Taiwan serves as a cornerstone of US economic and security influence in the region, former US Indo-Pacific Command commander admiral Phillip Davidson said on Thursday. “China’s ... strategy is to supplant the US leadership role in the international order ... and they’ve long said ... that they intend to do that by 2050,” Davidson told the National Review Institute’s Ideas Summit in Washington. Davidson said he had previously told US Senate hearings on China’s military activities and possible threats in the Indo-Pacific region that a Chinese invasion of
RSS