A DPP legislator and a labor activist were both marched out of a press conference at the Legislative Yuan by police officers yesterday. The incident happened after the activist threw a piece of paper at the legislator, who had just announced that he stood by allegations he made Sunday against two labor organizations.
Branding the two DPP legislators Lee Ming-hsien (李明憲) and Lee Chen-nan (李鎮楠) "McCarthyites," for accsuing organizers of a workers demonstration of "working for China," some 30 members of the Committee for Action for Labor Legislation (CFALL), (工人立法行動委員會) had gone to the Legislative Yuan yesterday to demand apologies.
They were received by DPP legislative whip Wang Tuoh (
Any hopes of a reconciliation, however, were immediately dashed when Lee Ming-hsien chose to speak first and declined to apologize for his Sunday remarks. He explained that he was not accusing the majority of workers; but he was accusing Wang Juan-ping (
But Lee's comments upset one of the CFALL members, Wang Yao-tze (
The two were immediately seized by a number of police officers and removed from the room. The press conference broke up shortly afterward.
Some 30 police officers were present at the event.
The CFALL delegation, speaking to reporters outside the legislature, apologized for the incident.
"We are sorry for what we did, but they should apologize for what they said," said Ho Yian-tang (
However, the two legislators told an afternoon press conference that they wouldn't accept the apology.
In fact, the two legislators reiterated that they stood by their accusations and said they would welcome the CFALL to file a lawsuit against them. However, they again declined to substantiate the accusations.
The CFALL said that it would respond to the two legislators' remarks at a press conference to be held today.
Wang Tuoh, meanwhile, told reporters that the two legislators' remarks were "inappropriate" and had been made by the men as private individuals. He said they did not reflect the view of the DPP legislative caucus, which, he added, would have nothing more to do with the issue.
The CFALL and CFL have traditionally had closer relations with the DPP than with other political parties. However a rift has developed between the DPP and the labor movement since the DPP formed its first administration in 2000.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are