The Republican Party yesterday flexed its organizational muscles with a massive rally along Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei.
Following hours of performances and speeches, each of the party’s legislative candidates symbolically waved the party’s banner, passed to them by party Chairman Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩).
The "Lion of Justice" emblazoned on the banner also served as the theme animal of the rally.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Party volunteers said the lion (獅子) was chosen as the theme animal, because it sounds the same as the character shi (師) that describes a division within the military. It is in that context, the event was officially titled "The Troop of Justice Save Taiwan."
The character shi (師) also has the meaning of "teacher."
The party has received attention because of its close ties with a Buddhist sect led by Master Miao Tien (妙天), to which Hsu belongs. The sect is rumored to have provided funding and other assistance to the fledgling party, which was founded by Hsu in March after she left the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
Party officials estimated that more than 20,000 people attended the rally, with the crowd spilling off of Ketagalan Boulevard onto a neighboring traffic circle.
Battalions of volunteers carrying the banners of the party’s individual legislative candidates milled throughout the site, with candidates delivering speeches in a special “soapbox” section.
The event also included a public writing wall and a children’s activity area, as well as booths for people to purchase party paraphernalia and to fill out forms to join the party.
At the back of the rally, people distributed fliers for discounted courses on subjects such as ukulele, congressional politics, political philosophy, organizational development and management, but there was no promotion of classes to “open up the brain’s potential” by Master Miao Tien’s sect.
A retired man surnamed Lin (林) said he joined the party after being approached by a recruiter in a public park, because he liked its philosophy of transcending party differences, adding that he attended the rally to learn more about the party’s specific policy platforms.
Volunteer Aga Yu (于治家) said she joined because of the influence of her teacher, Chang Cheng (張誠), who is one of the party’s legislative candidates.
While she attended a discounted chocolate-making activity organized by the party, she had not heard of there being any “brain potential” classes, she said.
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