City government to allow protests in 228 Memorial

Taipei 228 Memorial Park and the open auditorium at Taipei Da-An Park will be open to public assemblies and rallies starting on Aug. 1, the Taipei City Government said yesterday.

Starting next month, protesters who plan to hold a rally in those two areas will not be required to apply for a permit 10 to 60 days before the event as mandated in the Assembly and Parade Law (集會遊行法), it said.

"The [two] assembly and parade zones were established to promote public rights. The government and the opposition parties have already reached a consensus not to deprive the public of freedom of assembly," Emile Sheng (盛治仁), head of Taipei City's Research & Development Evaluation Commission, said at Taipei City Hall yesterday.

Protesters planning to hold a rally can apply on the same day for a permit. The Taipei City Department of Police will not deny applications for assembly in those two areas unless they have serious public safety concerns, the city government said.

Under current law -- a relic of the martial law period -- police have the power to allow or deny applications for assembly, restrict demonstrators' activities, maintain order and dismiss an assembly. However, no norm is given as to how this power should be exercised.

Following a campaign to depose President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) last year that gave rise to disputes about applications and approvals of public rallies, several civic groups and legislators have called for the removal of the ban on assembly without a permit. Some have urged that this be replaced with a simple registration process.

Sheng, a former spokesman of the anti-Chen campaign, denied that the campaign had anything to do with the city government policy, adding that the city government had discussed the establishment of the zones after Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) proposed the idea months ago.

"We decided on those two places given their capacity, as well as transportation and public safety considerations," Sheng said.

Taipei 228 Incident Association director Liao Ji-bin (廖繼斌) expressed his support for the move to respect the public's right to assemble and protest.

"The park is already a politicized place, and I don't think allowing people to hold rallies without permits will worsen the situation. Instead, I think it would be great if everyone could go and express their opinions," he told the Taipei Times.

Liao said his grandfather, who died during the incident, was a revolutionary and would agree that the law should be abolished.

"Without limitations, I think the public would view rallies as a normal civil activity, rather than a political event," he said.

Sheng said the government may establish more assembly and parade zones in future. Taipei Soccer Stadium, Hua Shang Art District and Taipei's riverside parks are places under consideration. But for now, except for those two areas, the public will still have to apply for a permit if they plan to hold a protest in the city.