Antigovernment protesters lashed out at judicial officials for not investigating police officers accused of using excessive force in their response to Sunflower movement protests in March and April last year.
“We will shoulder whatever responsibilities we must and we accept the charges against us, but I regret that those police officers who cracked down on protesters using excessive force have not been pursued,” Lai Pin-yu (賴品妤), a law student at National Taipei University and a member of the Black Island National Youth Front, said at a news conference yesterday. Lai was among the first protesters who seized the legislative floor on March 18 last year.
“Police brutality was clearly caught on video and in photographs, but the National Police Agency said that they could not identify those officers,” Lai said. “It is quite odd that the police could identify unknown protesters, but they could not find out who the officers were when they should have information about the officers.”
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Protesting against the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) attempt to pass a cross-strait service trade agreement — widely considered harmful to Taiwan’s economy and sovereignty — at the legislature, a group of mainly young activists entered the Legislative Yuan complex and occupied the main legislative chamber for more than 20 days.
On March 23 last year, thousands of people dissatisfied with the government’s reaction to the occupation of the legislature ralied, while a few entered the Executive Yuan complex and occupied it until they were removed by police officers on the morning of March 24.
Then-premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) ordered that the Cabinet complex be cleared before office hours; police officers executed the order with what some observers describe as excessive force, with dozens of alleged incidents of police brutality involving protesters and reporters.
Dennis Wei (魏揚), who occupied the Executive Yuan, agreed with Lai.
“There are many controversial laws restraining civil liberties; we challenge these laws with civil disobedience, with the objective of improving these laws,” he said. “We surely are willing to accept our legal responsibilities, but those in power should also honestly face our challenges.”
Volunteer attorney Huang Di-ying (黃帝穎) said the prosecutions are politically motivated.
Academia Sinica research fellow Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) was charged with “incitement to committ offenses” for making a statement in support of the protesters, lauding them as defending Taiwan’s democracy after the occupation of the legislature, Huang said.
“However, for Jiang, who ordered brutal attacks on protesting students and professors, nothing happened to him and instead, he is now hired as presidential adviser,” Huang added.
“The judiciary is turning a blind eye to high-ranking officials; this is what we would call selective prosecution and political prosecution,” Huang said.
Hung Chung-yen (洪崇晏), who led a demonstration outside Taipei’s Zhongzheng First Police Precinct headquarters on April 11 last year, chastised police and the judiciary over the prosecutions of online supporters for the demonstrators.
“The state is trying to shut us up with threats; it is like the White Terror once again,” Hung said.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
Tropical Storm Podul has formed over waters north-northeast of Guam and is expected to approach the seas southeast of Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The 11th Pacific storm of the year developed at 2am over waters about 2,660km east of Oluanpi (歐鑾鼻), Pingtung County — Taiwan's southernmost tip. It is projected to move westward and could have its most significant impact on Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday next week, the CWA said. The agency did not rule out the possibility of issuing a sea warning at that time. According to the CWA's latest update, Podul is drifting west-northwest
RSS