Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) yesterday said he slipped and lost his balance, and did not know who was around him, after jumping onto the speaker’s podium at the legislature in Taipei.
He apologized after a collision with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chen Ching-hui (陳菁徽), who moved to intercept him as he mounted the podium.
There was pushing and shoving when the session started in the morning as KMT lawmakers attempted to block access to the podium to shield Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) so he could preside over the session.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Video footage showed Chung step on a chair and clamber onto the podium in an apparent bid to stop Han from speaking.
Chen moved into his path atop the podium and reached for Chung, who changed directions and grabbed at Chen’s legs with both hands, knocking her into a chair.
The pair spun around and fell to the floor behind the podium as other KMT lawmakers moved in to pull Chung away.
“When I got on the podium, I slipped on a piece of paper and lost my balance,” Chung said. “There were many hands trying to stop me, so I just grabbed the person in front of me and we both fell.”
“It was an instinctive reaction and I was not targeting anyone,” he said.
“I also hit the chair hard and am still in pain,” he added.
“I have apologized to Chen. If she feels infringed upon, then I would apologize again, but I must ask Speaker Han to conduct proceedings in a fair manner,” he said.
Chen said that getting tackled by Chung was scary, painful and it angered her.
“I condemn such violence and also condemn an obnoxious man for making a flying tackle against a female legislator,” she said. “I would not accept an apology from Chung and will file a judicial complaint against him after I get a medical examination to check on the extent of my injuries.”
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