Thirty-nine people were indicted yesterday for entering the Executive Yuan complex in Taipei during the Sunflower movement protests last year against the government’s handling of a controversial cross-strait trade agreement.
Taipei prosecutors said the 39 had disobeyed Article 306 of the Criminal Code, which forbids entry into another person’s property without reason.
Video footage from a surveillance camera showed 13 of the demonstrators breaking into the complex on March 23, days after a group of student protesters had invaded and occupied the main chamber of the Legislative Yuan to protest against the proposed cross-strait service trade agreement.
The other 26 defendants had drawn the attention of prosecutors and the Cabinet when they filed a lawsuit over the injuries they allegedly suffered during the police action to disperse protesters from the Executive Yuan early on March 24.
The 26, including dentist Wang Hsin-kai (王心愷), sued President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and former premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) for attempted murder, citing police violence and injuries they sustained when police fired water cannons at them.
The Cabinet then sued the 26 based on the information they had provided, accusing them of intrusion and other violations.
During the investigation, the 39 said they were present at the Executive Yuan complex, but said they were only there to support the demonstrations.
The 39 said they were exercising civil disobedience, but did not break any laws.
The indictments yesterday brought the number of protesters charged for intrusion into the Executive Yuan complex to 132, including Dennis Wei (魏揚), one of the movement’s leaders.
The Sunflower movement began after Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chang Ching-chung (張慶忠) fast-tracked the servic trade agreement through a legislative committee review on March 17.
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