Clashes broke out in the legislature yesterday as ruling party and opposition lawmakers pushed and shoved to take over the podium during a plenary meeting of the extra legislative session.
A male lawmaker complained of being bitten by a female colleague, while another female lawmaker screamed as she was frog-marched from the podium by a male opponent. Several legislators also had coffee sprayed on their faces during a scuffle.
The podium was first occupied by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers, who were instructed by the party on Monday night to assemble outside the legislative chamber before 6:30am. When Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) lawmakers arrived soon after, fighting broke out.
Photo: CNA
Running out of the legislative hall in tears, KMT Legislator Wang Huei-mei (王惠美) told reporters she could not believe it when DPP Legislator Pasuya Yao (姚文智) grabbed her hands from behind and dragged her away from the podium.
“It’s the last day of the extra legislative session. What I was asking was that we should begin reviewing bills. Why did he attack a woman?” Wang asked.
Yao said he was trying to tell Wang not to jostle for space with DPP Legislator Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑), who was already on the podium.
KMT Legislator Wu Yu-jen (吳育仁) showed reporters a bite mark on his upper left arm, accusing DPP Legislator Lin Shu-fen (林淑芬) of biting him when she rushed into the chamber and saw him standing on the podium.
“I didn’t feel pain at first, but it began to hurt an hour or two later. I think she bit me really hard,” Wu said.
Wu later posted a message on his Facebook page saying that he had taken a doctor’s advice and received a tetanus shot to prevent possible infection.
In response, Lin accused Wu of pressing his body against her and scratching her frantically.
“I bit him because he touched my breasts,” Lin said.
Lin apologized to DPP legislators Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純) and Hsueh Ling (薛凌) and to KMT Legislator Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) for accidentally spraying them with water and coffee during the confrontation. She refused to apologize to Wu.
“Why should I apologize to someone who touched my breasts?” Lin said.
Several DPP lawmakers also demanded that Wu apologize to Lin.
Later last night, Wu denied that he deliberately touched Lin’s breasts, but added that if she felt uncomfortable about the incident, he was willing to apologize.
KMT Legislator Ma Wen-Chun (馬文君) also wrestled with Lin in a separate clash.
In another round of fighting, DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) was bundled into the back of KMT Legislator Chen Shu-hui (陳淑慧) and pulled out some of the latter’s hair.
KMT Legislator Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) checked into a hospital, saying she injured her back after she was pushed to the ground and could barely stand up.
The KMT occupied the podium to ensure the passage of a number of controversial bills, while the DPP and the TSU staged a boycott to protest the signing of a cross-strait service trade agreement om Friday last week in Shanghai.
Lawmakers managed to reach a consensus on how to handle the controversial issues at 12:45pm, bringing the nearly six-hour long deadlock to an end.
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: Taiwan shares the same values as those that fought in WWII, and nations must unite to halt the expansion of a new authoritarian bloc, Lai said The government yesterday held a commemoration ceremony for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, joining the rest of the world for the first time to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Taiwan honoring V-E Day signifies “our growing connections with the international community,” President William Lai (賴清德) said at a reception in Taipei on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. One of the major lessons of World War II is that “authoritarianism and aggression lead only to slaughter, tragedy and greater inequality,” Lai said. Even more importantly, the war also taught people that “those who cherish peace cannot
Taiwanese Olympic badminton men’s doubles gold medalist Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) and his new partner, Chiu Hsiang-chieh (邱相榤), clinched the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Taipei Open yesterday, becoming the second Taiwanese team to win a title in the tournament. Ranked 19th in the world, the Taiwanese duo defeated Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju of South Korea 21-18, 21-15 in a pulsating 43-minute final to clinch their first doubles title after teaming up last year. Wang, the men’s doubles gold medalist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, partnered with Chiu in August last year after the retirement of his teammate Lee Yang
The Philippines yesterday criticized a “high-risk” maneuver by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal — a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested South China Sea — has been a flash point between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. Taiwan also claims the shoal. Monday’s encounter took place approximately 11.8 nautical miles (22km) southeast” of the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine military said, during ongoing US-Philippine military exercises that Beijing has criticized as destabilizing. “The Chinese frigate BN 554 was
The number of births in Taiwan fell to an all-time monthly low last month, while the population declined for the 16th consecutive month, Ministry of the Interior data released on Friday showed. The number of newborns totaled 8,684, which is 704 births fewer than in March and the lowest monthly figure on record, the ministry said. That is equivalent to roughly one baby born every five minutes and an annual crude birthrate of 4.52 per 1,000 people, the ministry added. Meanwhile, 17,205 deaths were recorded, resulting in a natural population decrease of 8,521, the data showed. More people are also leaving Taiwan, with net
RSS