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Police and Matsu devotees clash

A conflict between police officers and worshippers occurred late on Sunday night as crowds of people approached the sedan chair of the goddess Matsu during the annual Tachia Matsu pilgrimage (大甲媽祖遶境).

According to local religious custom, touching Matsu's sedan chair or even robbing it will bring them good luck, hence many Matsu devotees attempted to approach the sedan chair as the annual Tachia Matsu pilgrimage concluded on Sunday night and the goddess was returned to Tachia's Chenlan Temple (鎮瀾宮).

Matsu believers also stole ghost money from around the goddess in order to bring good luck.

Chenlan Temple asked police to guard the final day of the pilgrimage to prevent the goddess from being robbed.

A TV news clip broadcast by ET Today yesterday showed hundreds of people crowding around the goddess' sedan chair on Sunday night and being pushed away by police officers as they got too close. A fight then broke out as police officers and several worshippers clashed.

In the clip, police officers beat several men with their batons, but there were no reported injuries or arrests.

The final night of the pilgrimage was like a war zone as the barrage of firecrackers went on for hours, rockets exploded and chaos reigned with marchers following the sedan chair dressed in traditional soldiers' costumes and carrying banners.

The eight-day Tachia Matsu pilgrimage began on April 21 in Tachia and finished on Sunday night.
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