The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday that 100,000 people are expected to take to the streets of Taipei on Saturday to demand that the government put its proposed plan to sign an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China to a referendum.
The party said the protest would be divided into two routes, with former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) and former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) leading a route each.
The party has also invited former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) to attend the rally and be one of the speakers, DPP spokesman Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) said, adding that the party had been in communication with the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), of which Lee is the spiritual leader, regarding the former president’s participation.
DPP candidates for the other four special municipality elections would also join the rally, Tsai said.
The party said demonstrators would be split into two groups — an “anti-‘one China’ market” group and a “referendum on an ECFA” group.
The “anti-‘one China’ market” route will start at Dinghao Plaza and travel along Zhongxiao E Road, Linsen S Road and Renai Road Sec 1.
The “referendum on an ECFA” march, meanwhile, will begin at Wanhua Station and proceed along Monga Boulevard, Heping W Road Sec 2, Fuzhou Street, Roosevelt Road Sec 1 and Zhongshan S Road.
Both marches will start at 4pm and converge on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office at 5pm, where a number of DPP officials are expected to make speeches.
The protest is scheduled to finish at 7pm, the party said.
An ECFA between Taiwan and China is expected to be signed by the end of this month or early next month. Proposals for a referendum on the trade pact — one initiated by the DPP and another by the TSU — have been rejected by the Referendum Review Committee.
The TSU has since initiated a new referendum campaign.
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