Kaohsiung City Council Speaker Huang Chi-chuan (
The City Council recently passed a proposal to dissolve the city government's Office of Information and the decision has intensified the confrontation and hostility between the DPP supporters and opposition politicians.
Councilors from the DPP and its ally, the TSU, launched a protest entitled "Oppose the vicious council" (
As demonstrators arrived at the square in front of the Council Hall, some tried to provoke the police, who were called out to keep the protesters from entering.
Huang, when preparing to enter the Council Hall, tried to shake hands with some of the protesters, but was rebuffed as the agitated crowd insulted him and began beating him.
Though security guards immediately separated Huang from the crowd, the crowd had already assaulted Huang, and later tried to follow him into the Council Hall.
Later Huang felt very uncomfortable while he was preparing to chair the meeting and was immediately rushed to the hospital by other councilors.
"Such violent behavior is unbelievable," Huang said after receiving medical treatment.
Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) censured the protesters behavior after visiting Huang in the hospital to express the city government's concern.
"We are sorry and solemnly condemn the violence, and we hope the police department will step-up its efforts to arrest those criminals," Hsieh told reporters.
Hsieh also stressed that if the perpetrators were DPP party members, the party would discipline them.
"Recently, city government officials and the speaker of the council have been the victims of violent attacks, and I hope all city residents will calm down and condemn all violence. Both the council and the city government should support the police and should avoid blaming each other," Hsieh said.
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