The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) conducted a "Taiwanese" flag-raising ceremony yesterday morning at Banchiao Stadium in Taipei County, which was disrupted by New Party legislative candidates. A scuffle broke out between the two groups, but no one was reported to be injured.
At 9:30am, TSU Chairman Huang Chu-wen (黃主文), staff members from party headquarters and legislative candidates gathered at the stadium to lower a Republic of China flag and raise a flag which stated "Taiwan."
"This `Taiwanese flag,' which was made at the last minute, is only a symbolic flag," Huang said. "The TSU from today onward will ask the people of Taiwan to pick our own flag and national day."
After the TSU raised the flag, a group of New Party legislative candidates disrupted the ceremony with one of their own. Candidates such as Joanna Lei (雷倩) and Lee Sheng-feng (李勝峰), who were originally nominated by the New Party and will run in the year-end elections under the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) banner, initiated a "love the ROC flag" activity by singing the national anthem on the stadium stage. TSU legislative candidate Siew Kuan-yu (蕭貫譽), displeased by the New Party followers, called them "violent," which led to a physical tussle.
Also yesterday morning, an explosion of firecrackers next to 228 Memorial Park put nerves on edge for crowds who had gathered for the Double Ten National Day ceremony.
At 8:25am, a loud explosion was heard next to a bus stop near the park. Smoke was seen at the scene. The explosion surprised many in the crowd and security personnel were immediately alerted. National Police Agency's Criminal Investigation Bureau Commissioner Hou You-yi (侯友宜), who was nearby when the explosion took place, rushed to the scene.
"According to the evidence collected at the scene, the explosion was set off by regular firecrackers [like those] used at the Lunar New Year or other celebrations," Hou said. "They did not pose any danger."
Nevertheless, according to the police, the setting off of firecrackers half an hour before the national day celebration may have been designed to create suspicion and tension.
Elsewhere, members of the pro-unification Patriot Association held a protest close to the rally by playing a Chinese patriotic song, "Plum Song," over a loudspeaker.
Further south, Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (
"KMT legislative candidates are my priority when it comes to campaign rally endorsements," Hu said. "However, if other pan-blue candidates need help, I will do the same for them as well."
According to Hu, he was optimistic about the pan-blue camp's election prospects in Taichung City.
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