A group of pro-localization organizations are planning to hold simultaneous rallies in front of the nation’s 19 main railway stations sometime in mid-December in an effort to put more steam into Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) campaign, sources said.
The event, dubbed “Happiness and Peace, Lighting the New Hope of Taiwan” by the groups, aims to stir up more public support for the DPP’s campaign.
Rehearsals for the event are scheduled to take place in a suitable location in Taipei City in late November, and the groups are hoping to replicate the success of the “228 Hand-in-Hand Rally” held in 2004, sources said.
More than 1 million people joined hands during the “228 Hand-in-Hand Rally,” held on Feb. 28, 2004, joined hands in an island-wide peaceful protest against the military threat posed by China.
The event also helped boost then-president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) re-election prospects.
Sources said that pro--localization groups were increasingly concerned about the unenthusiastic public response to January’s presidential election.
The groups had originally planned to hold events similar to the 2004 rally, but in an effort to be creative, opted for a lamp lighting event instead, sources said.
In addition to Tsai, who will definitely be invited to the event, the groups intend to invite such pro-localization heavyweights as Ping Ming-min (彭明敏), Koo Kwang-ming (辜寬敏), Ng Chiau-tong (黃昭堂), Hwang Kun-hu (黃崑虎) and Presbyterian Church Reverend Kao Chun-ming (高俊明) to the event, sources said.
During the official lighting event, those invited members would congregate at one of the 19 train stations across the nation and simultaneously light the lamps.
Railway stations already selected for the event include Keelung, Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Greater Taichung, Changhua, Chiayi, Greater Tainan, Greater Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Yilan, Hualien, and Taitung, sources said.
Translated by Jake Chung, Staff Writer
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