More than 10,000 anti-nuclear activists demonstrated yesterday in Taipei to call for a referendum on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, a far weaker showing than had been expected.
The number of DPP members who attended the event was also lower than had been predicted.
"We want a referendum at the end of the year!" anti-nuclear activists shouted as they marched through the city's streets.
Activists of the Nuclear Free Country Action Alliance (非核國家行動聯盟), the main organizer of the demonstration, said that they could not rely on politicians to achieve the goal of building a nuclear-free country.
Protesters handed out anti-nuclear propaganda to passers-by, highlighting past nuclear disasters and denouncing Taiwan's energy policy.
The demonstrators also urged President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to stick to his former hard-line anti-nuclear stance.
"President Chen! Don't use political harmony and the stock market as excuses for inconsistency!" shouted one activist.
Demonstrators, who first gathered at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, were asked to exchange their A-bian election campaign caps for T-shirts bearing slogans demanding a referendum on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.
Protesters stamped on political party flags as they passed by the headquarters of the KMT and People First Party, both located on Jen-ai Road, in a display of disgust at the behavior of the opposition parties.
By nightfall, the protesters gathered outside the Presidential Office and projected a laser display of the Chinese characters for "referendum" (公投) onto the building.
Although few DPP officials joined the demonstration yesterday, DPP Secretary-General Wu Nai-jen (吳乃仁) reassured protesters that the party supported a referendum on the nuclear issue.
The DPP was lambasted by several groups, including the Green Citizens' Action Alliance and Green Formosa Front, for getting involved in the demonstration. The two groups refused to join the demonstration because the DPP took part.
"Resuming construction of the plant is illegal and the anti-nuclear movement should have not been used by any party," a statement released yesterday by the two groups said.
Former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) joined the demonstration and walked with key anti-nuclear leaders, including chairman of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union Shih Shin-min (施信民) at the head of the march.
Together, they held a huge banner calling for the people to be empowered to decide the fate of the controversial nuclear plant.
"Essential national projects, such as the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, should be decided by the people," Lin said.
On Feb. 20, Lin offered to resign from his position as the senior advisor to the party, saying that he had to shoulder some of the responsibility for the Cabinet's final decision to resume the plant's construction.
About 70 activists from Kungliao (貢寮) township, Taipei County, where the controversial plant is located, attended the demonstration.
"Although we are disappointed with the DPP, we hope the referendum will bring Kungliao residents a better future," said Chen Ching-tang (陳慶塘), head of the Yenliao Anti-nuclear Self-help Association (鹽寮反核自救會).
Chen said they did not know what their next move would be.
"What does tomorrow hold for us? Kungliao residents have suffered a lot," Chen said.
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