The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday reminded Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
Moreover, the party asked all supporters to keep away from the rally to avoid conflict, saying that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) may fabricate a bloody incident during the rally and accuse the DPP of resorting to violence.
The DPP said that, according to reliable information, today's rally may get out of control due to the actions of certain elements who wish to incite conflict. Therefore, the party urged Ma to promise ending the rally by the legally permitted time of 6pm.
DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (
"I want all party officials to properly cope with any possible situations, and I warn all party members that those who go to the rally will be severely punished," Chang said.
DPP Deputy Secretary-General Lee Ying-yuan (
"We therefore ask the police directly to expel anyone who is wearing clothing with DPP marks from the rally, because they are absolutely not authorized by the DPP," Lee stressed.
Lee, on behalf of the DPP, asked Ma how he could attend the rally as party leader, and at the same time appeal to demonstrators to go home.
"As the mayor, [Ma's] obligation is to ensure the rights of the 2 million residents and the international image of the city. But as the KMT's presidential campaign manager, you have to mobilize supporters. So we are wondering what role exactly you will choose [today]?" Lee asked.
Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), director of the public affairs department of the DPP's campaign headquarters, also displayed documents from the KMT's Taipei City Headquarters, which showed that the party asked supporters to join the rally and demonstration not only today, but also on Monday.
"The KMT's document says that members should attend the rally to 11pm on Saturday, and attend another demonstration on Monday," Cheng said.
"Mayor Ma has given a privilege to those conducting illegal demonstrations in front of the President Office by giving permission to illegal demonstrations three times over the past week," Cheng said. "We hope that there will be no fourth recurrence on Saturday."
Concerning the DPP supporters' increasing anger with the demonstrations by the pan-blue camp, the party yesterday continued to issue advertisements in newspapers to call on supporters to believe in the government and remain silent.
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Hualien Branch of the High Court today sentenced the main suspect in the 2021 fatal derailment of the Taroko Express to 12 years and six months in jail in the second trial of the suspect for his role in Taiwan’s deadliest train crash. Lee Yi-hsiang (李義祥), the driver of a crane truck that fell onto the tracks and which the the Taiwan Railways Administration's (TRA) train crashed into in an accident that killed 49 people and injured 200, was sentenced to seven years and 10 months in the first trial by the Hualien District Court in 2022. Hoa Van Hao, a
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the