Remembering 228: Families and dogs bring festive atmosphere to Taipei

"I came here today because Taiwan is my home and because I love Taiwan."

Wang Jo-chu, 28-year-old marketing specialist

It was a sunny, bright day, ideal for a weekend outing. Young couples brought their toddlers out to enjoy the sunshine and festive atmosphere, and many people walked their dogs to the place where they were to join the nationwide 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally in Taipei.

The rally mainly spread out on Chunghsiao E. Road, and from there went past the Legislative Yuan and Ketagalan Boulevard and into the 228 Memorial Park.

According to the city councilors in charge of the rally in Taipei, more than 100,000 people took part in the nation's capital. The organizers originally planned to have a single line going through the city, but the sheer number of participants resulted in parallel lines forming in several places.

Most people were dressed in white Hand-in-Hand Rally T-shirts that had been handed out by the Taiwan Solidarity Union, and wore hats and headbands bearing pro-Taiwanese slogans. Many dogs were also adorned with the headbands.

Some stalls did a brisk trade in merchandise promoting President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), such as hats and T-shirts from Bian Mao Factory (扁帽工廠).

"We came here today to do what we should, to show that we don't want to be threatened by Chinese missiles," said Cheng Shu-fen (鄭淑芬), a 40-year-old nurse from Taipei, who was accompanied by her husband and their 7-year-old daughter.

Cheng said that the rally brought together people from different ethnic backgrounds, and anyone could join in. She said that many of her Mainlander friends took part in the rally.

When asked what she was doing in the rally today, Cheng's daughter answered: "We are joining hands to protect Taiwan," but then asked her mother, "What is a missile? Is it a bad guy?"

Young faces were abundant in the rally, with many claiming excitedly they came on their own initiative.

"I came here today because Taiwan is my home, and because I love Taiwan," 28-year-old marketing specialist Wang Jo-chu (王若筑) said.

"When I raised my hands together with so many others, I was deeply moved. I hope we can use this opportunity to speak up and make the world see us," she said.

Wang Shu-li (王淑俐), a 22-year-old pharmacology student, said it was necessary for young people in Taiwan to understand what happened in the past, and "appreciate that fact that the current democracy we enjoy is a result of blood spilt in the past."

"I feel that this rally is about identifying with our own land and about being patriotic," she said.

The president's family also joined the rally in Taipei, including first lady Wu Shu-chen (吳淑珍) and her mother, the presidential couple's children, son-in-law, and grandson Chao Yi-an (趙翊安). The Chen family joined the human chain at the 228 Memorial Park on 2:28pm, together with National Security Council Secretary-General Kang Ning-hsiang (康寧祥), National Policy Adviser Alice King (金美齡) and her two grandchildren, as well as several other Democratic Progressive Party legislators and city councilors.

Meanwhile, the fifth Say Yes to Taiwan music festival, an event held by the Taiwan Rock Alliance in memory of the 228 Incident, took place in front of the Presidential Office following the rally. In addition to local bands, including metal stalwarts Chthonic (閃靈), the punk trio Pangu (盤古) from China and some other groups from Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and the US, attracted a number of young people.