The Democratic Progressive Party (DDP) yesterday finalized the rally route for the last leg of its one-month campaign against what it says is the President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) administration’s poor governance. The rally is scheduled to be held in Taipei on the afternoon of Jan. 13, with the decision on whether to make the event an overnight protest still pending.
The DPP-initiated campaign, dubbed “Fury” (火大), was launched in Taipei on Friday with the aim of voicing the party’s anger over what it perceives as the Ma administration’s failure to improve people’s livelihoods and Taiwan’s democracy and politics.
The campaign’s first rally was held at Longshan Temple in Taipei on Saturday, and attracted thousands of people. It was followed by two rallies held in Greater Taichung and Taoyuan County on Sunday.
Four more rallies are scheduled to be staged in Yilan and Yunlin counties on Sunday and Dec. 29 respectively — including two extra events in Greater Taichung on Sunday and Dec. 28 added due to a warm public response to the campaign — before the nationwide anti-government movement culminates with the Taipei rally on Jan. 13.
Participants in the Taipei protest, with a route covering 4.95km, are planning to assemble at the intersection of Renai Road and Guangfu S Road near the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall at 2pm on Jan. 13.
Led by DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), demonstrators will begin the march at 3pm and head toward Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office, where speeches are to be given from 4:30pm.
“To gather up momentum for the mass protest, which is is planned for Ketagalan Boulevard, the DPP plans only one route for the event,” DPP Department of Social Movement director Huang Hsiang-chun (黃向群) said, adding the processions would also walk through Dunhua S Road, Chung-hsiao E Road and Xinsheng S Road.
DPP headquarters has also extended invitations to several party heavyweights, including former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), former DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and former premiers Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and Yu Shyi-kun, as well as representatives from civil organizations and pro-localization groups, to take part in the planned mass rally in Taipei.
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