British pianist Brendan Kavanagh on Monday held up Taiwan’s national flag during a livestream after having an altercation with a group of Chinese last month.
When Kavanagh, who goes by the name Dr K Boogie Woogie on social media, was recording a livestream from St Pancras International station in London on Jan. 19, a group of Chinese standing in the background loudly insisted that they not be filmed, saying their portrait rights should be protected.
The Chinese, who were holding Chinese flags when the incident occured, said that they would take legal action if their faces and voices were shown online.
Photo: Screen grab from Brendan Kavanagh’s Facebook page
Kavanagh refused to listen, saying the station is a public place.
“We are in a free country, we can film where we want,” he said.
The public piano Kavanagh played, donated by Elton John, was later cordoned off by British authorities due to the incident, he wrote on Facebook on Jan. 25.
After the piano was reopened to the public, Kavanagh held up Taiwan’s flag during a livestream at the station on Monday, saying: “I’m supporting Taiwan.”
Kavanagh then posted a photograph on Facebook of him standing on the piano stool holding up the flag.
It received supportive messages from Taiwanese and others, including Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor Vincent Chao (趙怡翔), who wrote: “Keep fighting the good fight!”
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Mong-kai (洪孟楷) wrote that “The ROC [republic of China] flag symbolizes liberty, equality and philanthropy,” and Kaohsiung Department of Tourism director-general Kao Min-lin (高閔琳) thanked Kavanagh for his support.
“Awesome to see friends demonstrating support for #Taiwan in the #UK & giving a shout-out to our peace-loving people,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) wrote on X yesterday.
Wu invited Kavanagh to visit Taiwan “to celebrate love for music & freedom of expression in a place where #China ALSO holds zero jurisdiction!”
Hsiao said that the ministry welcomes people from all over the world who support democracy and freedom to support Taiwan.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as