Accompanied by labor activists, dozens of migrant workers from Indonesia and the Philippines yesterday rallied at Taipei Main Station to protest the station’s move to block much of the lobby area in an attempt to “protect passengers’ right to pass,” calling it a policy based on discrimination.
Holding up signs written in Chinese, English and Indonesian that read “No to racial discrimination,” “We need a place to stay” and “What’s wrong with holiday celebrations? Racial segregation reappears at Taipei Railroad Station,” dozens of migrant workers gathered outside the train station, protesting its latest measure to prevent people from gathering in its lobby area.
“We just need a place to spend time with our friends on our days off. If we’re prohibited from going into the train station, please tell us where else we can go,” Fitri, an Indonesian worker, told reporters. “We don’t want to cause trouble to anybody.”
Photo: Wang Min-wei, Taipei Times
Oria Gayaden, from the Philippines, agreed with Fitri.
“We are here to show support to our Indonesian friends,” she said. “If they are prohibited from spending time in the train station, then where can they go?”
Gayaden went on to say that migrant workers should not be discriminated against and should enjoy equal rights.
The dispute happened after the station management decided earlier this month to block most of the station’s lobby area with retractable belts on Fridays through Sundays, which coincide with days that most migrant workers would gather at the station.
The station made the move because passengers complained that foreign workers were “occupying” the station when they gathered in large numbers for the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, the most important Muslim holiday that marks the end of the Ramadan month, which this year fell on Aug. 19.
Thousands of Indonesian workers gathered outside the station in celebration on the day. However, they moved inside the station during a thunderstorm.
“The Indonesian workers were celebrating their holiday, I don’t see a problem in public places being crowded on special holidays — don’t many public places get crowded on New Year’s Eve or on Lunar New Year?” Taiwan International Workers’ Association secretary-general Chen Hsiu-lian (陳秀蓮) said. “How come the government is not doing anything to prohibit the crowd from gathering at public places?”
The protesters then marched into the train station and sat in the middle of the lobby to show their determination to defend their rights.
The station master, Ku Shih-yen (古時彥), who showed up and spoke briefly with Chen, rebutted accusations that the station’s move is targeted at foreign workers.
“Our job is to make sure that all passengers can walk through the station, it’s not targeted at foreign workers. We would ask Taiwanese who gather in the lobby of the station to leave as well,” Ku said. “We understand their petition, but we would not stop the measure.”
He went on to say that, the station would turn the lobby area into a space for performances or exhibitions next year.
“We would maybe have a fashion show here, or display art work, wouldn’t it look much better than having a bunch of people sitting around in the lobby?” he said.
As foreign workers protested, a man surnamed Ho (何) who happened to pass by shouted in disagreement.
“If foreign workers want to spend their leisure time, go to a park or a hotel. This is a train station, not a playground,” he said. “I don’t think these foreign workers would dare be so arrogant and violate the law in their own countries — they are doing so here because some groups are backing them.”
READY: The CGA said it closely monitored China’s maritime exercise, deployed vessels to shadow the Chinese ships one-on-one and set up emergency response centers Chinese navy and coast guard ships have returned to China, signaling the end of a massive maritime exercise, authorities said yesterday. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) released images it said showed Chinese vessels sailing north in rough seas past Taiwan on Thursday, on their way to China. “All the Chinese coast guard went back to China yesterday, so although they have not officially made any announcement, we consider it over,” CGA Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin (謝慶欽) said. Beijing has not confirmed the drills and the Chinese Ministry of National Defense did not say whether the maneuvers had taken place when asked at a
People can take the Taipei MRT free of charge if they access it at Nanjing Sanmin Station or Taipei Arena Station on the Green Line between 12am and 6am on Jan. 1, the Taipei Department of Transportation said on Friday, outlining its plans to ease crowding during New Year’s events in the capital. More than 200,000 people are expected to attend New Year’s Eve events in Taipei, with singer A-mei (張惠妹) performing at the Taipei Dome and the city government’s New Year’s Eve party at Taipei City Hall Plaza, the department said. As people have tended to use the MRT’s Blue or
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: As some roads would be fully or partially closed, people are advised to take the MRT, with services expanded to accommodate more riders This year’s Taipei Marathon, which has obtained its first gold label certification from World Athletics, is to be held from 5am to 1pm tomorrow and would have 28,000 participants. The race is to start from the Taipei City Plaza and would go through major roads throughout the city, with traffic control implemented from 6am to 2pm, officials said. The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system and New Taipei City MRT Circle line would start operating at 5am on the day of the race, they said. The race would cover Renai Road, Xinyi Road, Hangzhou S Road, Aiguo east and west roads,
Taipei is participating in Osaka’s Festival of Lights this year, with a 3m-tall bubble tea light installation symbolizing Taiwan’s bubble tea culture. The installation is designed as a bubble tea cup and features illustrations of Taipei’s iconic landmarks, such as Taipei 101, the Red House and North Gate, as well as soup dumplings and the matchmaking deity the Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人), affectionately known as Yue Lao (月老). Taipei and Osaka have collaborated closely on tourism and culture since Taipei first participated in the festival in 2018, the Taipei City Department of Information and Tourism said. In February, Osaka represented
RSS