One police officer was taken to hospital and six men were arrested last night after the officer fell from a truck as he tried to stop protesters from shooting fireworks at the hotel where Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) was staying.
The incident marked the most serious injury and the first arrests during this week’s cross-strait talks.
The Taichung City Police Bureau said the officer, Chen Chu-hsiang (陳諸想), was pushed from the vehicle by members of the pro-independence “908 Taiwan Republic Campaign.”
Doctors said Chen sustained an eye injury and would undergo a brain scan to check for head injuries, the bureau said.
Taichung City Police Deputy Chief Yu Hui-mao (余輝茂) said Chen climbed onto the vehicle to ask the protesters to stop setting off the rockets because they could injure people around them on the main road in front of the hotels where the Taiwanese and Chinese delegations were staying.
Chen reportedly fell from the truck at 7:02pm, about 30 minutes after a banquet hosted by Taichung City Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) for the delegations began at the Windsor Hotel.
The six men were arrested on charges of public endangerment, obstruction of justice and causing injury.
At 10:30pm police released video footage at a press conference apparently showing the officer being pushed.
The protesters had said that they had footage proving Chen fell and was not pushed.
One of the protesters, surnamed Shen, said she saw the officer slip and fall, adding that she felt intimidated by police during the protest.
Approximately 300 armed officers had been dispatched to maintain security and order around the hotels. Yu said he would not increase the number.
Yesterday morning, two Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taichung City councilors gained access to the heavily policed restricted zone around the hotels and held up posters attacking the proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with Beijing.
The two women were immediately prevented by police from reaching the Windsor.
Later, also near the hotels, a group of DPP councilors released a few dozen pigeons, calling them “peace doves” and urging Beijing to remove more than 1,000 missiles pointed at Taiwan.
A group brought by DPP Taipei City Councilor Chien Yu-yen (簡余晏) threw blue and white flip-flops at portraits of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chen Yunlin.
Both delegations had left their hotels to tour central Taiwan before the protests began.
NETWORK-MAPPING PROJECT: The database contains 170 detailed files of Taiwanese politicians and about 23 million records of household registration data in Taiwan China has developed a network-mapping project targeting political figures and parties in Taiwan to monitor public opinion during elections and to craft tailored influence campaigns aimed at dividing Taiwanese society, according to documents leaked by Chinese technology firm GoLaxy (中科天璣). The documents, collected by Taipei-based Doublethink Lab, showed a database was specifically created to gather detailed information on Taiwanese political figures, including their political affiliations, job histories, birthplaces, residences, education, religion and a brief biography about them. Several notable Taiwanese politicians are in the database, including President William Lai (賴清德), former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍),
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
UPGRADED MISSILE: The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is reportedly to conduct a live-fire test of the Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile on Thursday next week The US Army is planning to build new facilities to boost explosives production and strengthen its supply chain, a move aimed at addressing munitions shortages and supporting obligations to partners including Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel, Defense News reported. The army has issued a sources sought notice for a proposed Center of Excellence at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky, the report said. The facility would serve as a hub within the US industrial base for the production of key military explosives, including research department explosives (RDX) and high melting explosives (HMX), while also supporting research and development of next-generation materials. The proposed
SOUTH KOREA DISPUTE: If Seoul continues to ignore its request, Taiwan would change South Korea’s designation on its arrival cards, the foreign ministry said If South Korea does not reply appropriately to a request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, the government would take corresponding measures to change how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. Taipei has asked Seoul to change the wording. Since March 1, South Koreans who hold government-issued Alien Resident Certificates (ARC) have been identified as from “South Korea” rather than the “Republic of Korea,” the
RSS