Two protesting groups yesterday showed up at a promotional event for the Taipei International Flora Expo, chanting slogans as Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) addressed the ceremony, catching the mayor and guests off guard.
A dozen Losheng Youth Alliance members interrupted Hau’s speech and shouted in protest against what they said was the city government’s failure to stop construction of the MRT’s Xinzhuang Line from damaging Losheng Sanatorium buildings.
The protesters got into a scuffle with police and were removed from Taipei City Hall.
PHOTO: CHIEN JUNG-FONG, TAIPEI TIMES
Another group of protesters from a labor union at Taipei City’s Parking Management Office showed up at the end of the event, chanting “Mayor Hau forcefully laid off union members,” before the police blocked them.
Hau appeared unaffected by the protests, and said he respected the protesters’ right to express their opinions.
“I thank them for making the event more newsworthy today and actually promoting the flora expo,” he said.
Celebrating the sale of flora expo tickets, 3.5 million of which have been sold so far, Hau yesterday reiterated his determination to make the Nov. 6 – April 30 expo a successful and popular event despite recent disputes over budget plans.
Hau’s wife, Kao Lung-sen (高閬仙), also attended the event to show support for her husband.
Commenting on Hau’s dropping poll figures rate amid recent scandals over the Xinsheng Overpass reconstruction project and the flora expo, Kao described her husband as a politician who always faced problems with candor and tried hard to solve them with a positive attitude.
“It’s not the first time he has faced such challenges and problems, and I think he has handled it quite well so far ... Besides, I believe he learned a lot and made more progress as a result of recent incidents,” she said.
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