Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday the party would hold its 24-hour sit-in protest against the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) and a draft amendment to the act without applying to the Taipei City Government for permission.
“We oppose this ridiculous Assembly and Parade Act and oppose the government’s proposed amendment to the Assembly and Parade Act,” Tsai told reporters yesterday.
The protest is scheduled to start on Sunday in front of the Presidential Office after the party’s rally against the government’s pro-China policies.
A draft amendment of the act proposed by the Cabinet would allow police to restrict the public’s right to protest, Tsai said.
She also said the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) had been playing tricks, first to block the sit-in, then to make it seem that Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) had helped the DPP.
The KMT arranged for “civic groups” to apply for rally permits on Ketagalan Boulevard on Monday to prevent the DPP’s 24-hour sit-in, she said. Later, Hau claimed he had negotiated with the groups on behalf of the DPP and convinced them to yield to the sit-in, she said.
Tsai said Hau’s behavior was “ridiculous and hypocritical,” and the DPP did not appreciate his supposed “help.”
The DPP has a permit for its Sunday-night rally on Ketagalan Boulevard, but could not secure a permit for the sit-in as the space had been booked for Monday.
Hau then called on the DPP to negotiate with the organization over use of the space. He was referring to the Taipei City branch of the KMT.
Yesterday he said the KMT had agreed to yield to the sit-in after being contacted by the city government over the matter.
Hau yesterday urged the DPP to complete the legal procedures for holding its sit-in and promised the permit would be granted.
“Ketagalan Boulevard is a major traffic artery and many residents have to use the road on Monday ... Applying for a road permit is [meant to] protect the rights of the majority,” Hau said.
Hau said the city government was concerned about the impact of the sit-in on traffic and would have trouble presenting a traffic control plan if the DPP did not apply for a road permit.
After news that the DPP would not apply for the permit, Hau said the sit-in would be illegal and the city government would handle the matter with a “soft approach.”
“I believe the DPP is a responsible party that will take the public’s rights and perspectives into consideration,” he said.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in