Several student groups have mobilized following the demolition last week of the Wang (王) family residences for an urban renewal project in Taipei, camping out on the site and calling for a stop to all construction work, amendments to the Urban Renewal Act (都市更新條例) and the rebuilding of the Wangs’ homes.
The Wangs lived in two houses on a plot of land in Shilin District (士林) that a construction firm was eyeing for a 15-story apartment. Although the Wangs had refused to sell their properties, the construction firm, having obtained the consent of 95 percent of the landowners on the block, asked the city government to evict the family.
Students have set up tents and a makeshift station at the site of the Wangs’ former residence, with posters and slogans such as “Buy a house at 40 and see it demolished at 70” lining the makeshift walls.
Photo: Huang Chi-hao, Taipei Times
Although the construction site has been walled off, an opening remains, giving protesters and the Wang family access to the worksite.
Liu Hsiao-hsin (劉曉欣), a fine arts student from National Taiwan Normal University who has slept at the site for eight days, said it was shocking to see the government use its administrative power to demolish a residence that would take most people a lifetime to buy.
“A lot of people came out and supported our actions, but they couldn’t stay because they have jobs and have to support their families,” said Liu, who had also participated in recent rallies in support of the rights of workers, farmers and minority groups.
Photo: Yao Yueh-hung, Taipei Times
A professor from the sociology department at an unnamed university said that any student who came out in support of the Wangs would get an extra 90 points on their mid-terms, which were held on Friday, two days after the demolition.
“I hope that other students who came to support the Wangs receive as much support from their professors,” Liu said, adding that “justice and equality are what I believe in and I will continue to fight for them.”
Liu said that prior to the demolition, she and other supporters had slept on the floor of the Wangs’ house, but they have since relocated and were now sleeping beneath the MRT line.
Hsien Yi-ting (謝邑霆), a law student from National Taipei University, said although he was studying law, he learned through the Wang incident that “administering by the law” is not always correct.
If the law goes against the Constitution, the power which that law confers should be annulled, Hsieh said.
An architecture student surnamed Shen (沈) from National Cheng Kung University in Greater Tainan said he had packed his bags and headed north after seeing protesting students evicted from the Wang house by police on TV.
“Being here and supporting the Wangs is more important than staying in school and going to classes,” Shen said.
Yang Yu-ting (楊語停), a self-proclaimed xiangmin, or “Internet forum poster,” said that on Thursday, the day of the demolition, the sight of police officers wielding batons and shields and treating students like captives from the enemy camp was worse than what he thought the Chinese Communist Party would do.
Yang said she had traveled to Taipei four times from Hsinchu to film the incident and post it online so that more netizens would see “what a horrible thing” the Taipei City Government had done to the Wang family.
Yao Kuai (妖怪), a second-year high-school student, not only spray-painted the excavators while they were being moved into position, but also sang a self-composed song titled Caretakers of the People, mocking the police for picking on people and accusing the government of corruption.
Professors from National Chengchi University (NCCU), Shih Hsin University, National Taiwan University of Arts, Taipei National University of the Arts, Soochow University and Tunghai University have also appeared at the Wang family site to express their thoughts.
Some have even relocated classes to the site “so that students could debate” the issue.
Students from National Tamkang University, Fu Jen Catholic University, National Taiwan University and NCCU have also mobilized to support the Wangs.
Human rights lawyer Chiu Huang-chuan (邱晃泉), who had visited the site, said protesters were not affiliated with any political party or corporate interests.
A 61 year-old participant named Lee Chun-chung (李俊崇) said that “autocratic governments fear student activities the most, because they are the one group that has no interests, and is the hardest to defame.”
Translated by Jake Chung, Staff writer
Japan has deployed long-range missiles in a southwestern region near China, the Japanese defense minister said yesterday, at a time when ties with Beijing are at their lowest in recent years. The missiles were installed in Kumamoto in the southern region of Kyushu, as Japan is attempting to shore up its military capacity as China steps up naval activity in the East China Sea. “Standoff defense capabilities enable us to counter the threat of enemy forces attempting to invade our country ... while ensuring the safety of our personnel,” Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi said. “This is an extremely important initiative for
MORE POPULAR: Taiwan Pass sales increased by 59 percent during the first quarter compared with the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said The Tourism Administration yesterday said that it has streamlined the Taiwan Pass, with two versions available for purchase beginning today. The tourism agency has made the pass available to international tourists since 2024, allowing them to access the high-speed rail, Taiwan Railway Corp services, four MRT systems and four Taiwan Tourist Shuttles. Previously, five types of Taiwan Pass were available, but some tourists have said that the offerings were too complicated. The agency said only two types of Taiwan Pass would be available, starting from a three-day pass with the high-speed rail and a three-day pass with Taiwan Railway Corp. The former costs NT$2,800
POLLS CONCERNS: There are concerns within the KMT that a Cheng Li-wun-Xi Jinping meeting could trigger a voter backlash in elections in November Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to visit next month, her party and Chinese state media reported yesterday. Cheng, who took up her role in November last year, “gladly accepted” the invitation to lead a delegation to China, the KMT said in a statement, confirming a Xinhua news agency report. Cheng “looks forward to joint efforts by both parties to advance the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, promote cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, and work for peace in the Taiwan Strait and greater well-being for people on both sides,” the statement said. Chinese
SIGNIFICANT TO THE WORLD: The delegation’s visit aims to send a clear message that bipartisan support for Taiwan is consistent, US Senator Jeanne Shaheen said The US Senate’s bipartisan support for Taiwan remains strong and Taiwan-US ties would continue for decades to come, a US Senate delegation said in Taipei yesterday, while calling on the legislature to swiftly pass a special defense budget bill. A US delegation led by Democratic US Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican US Senator John Curtis — both members of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations — arrived in Taiwan yesterday for a two-day visit. The other senators of the delegation included Senate Taiwan Caucus cochair Thom Tillis and Senate Committee on Armed Services senior member Jacky Rosen. Shaheen told a news
RSS