Religious groups and members of civic organizations advocating “traditional family values” yesterday rallied outside the Judicial Yuan in Taipei, a rally that became a protest after the Council of Grand Justices in the afternoon issued a constitutional interpretation in favor of the legalization of same-sex marriage.
The protesters included members of the Happiness of the Next Generation Alliance, the Association for Taiwan Social Stability, the Alliance of Religious Groups for the Love of Families Taiwan and other groups that have vehemently opposed marriage equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.
At the initially boisterous rally, demonstrators accompanied their chants with drums and other musical instruments, while many people held up banners or placards with slogans such as “We do not welcome same-sex marriage in Taiwan,” “Defend the traditional family,” “The judicial process is unfair” and “Justice is dead and buried.”
Photo: Liu Hsin-te, Taipei Times
After the grand justices’ interpretation was announced, many of the demonstrators reacted angrily or broke into tears.
They denounced the Council of Grand Justices and ripped up paper to symbolize their disbelief in the justices’ explanations for the ruling.
The chants turned to “Shame on the judiciary,” “We want a referendum,” “Down with the Judicial Yuan president” and “Down with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).”
Photo: Wen Yu-te, Taipei Times
The interpretation represents “the elite of the nation’s judiciary system bullying the majority opinion of the public,” alliance convener Yu Hsin-yi (游信義) said, adding that it is wrong for the “lawmaking body to interfere with justice.”
“We are very disappointed with the ruling and plan to continue to fighting against it with all our might,” Yu told an improptu news conference at the rally site. “We plan to request that the Control Yuan conduct a probe into the grand justices.”
He said the grand justices had “rigged the process” by calling expert witnesses to testify, none of whom stood for traditional family values or the protection of the sacred institution of marriage.
Yu vowed to push for a national referendum so that the public could have their say on the issue, and also to redouble efforts with a signature campaign to recall legislators he said had failed to listen to their constituents on the issue.
Alliance lawyer Yeh Kuang-chou (葉光洲) said the constitutional interpretation puts Taiwan on the map as the first to allow same-sex marriage in Asia, “but we might lose many things in the future, and I am afraid to find out.”
“The grand justices should not become spokespeople for movements that advocate social causes. The ruling shows our justice system is biased toward certain groups,” Yeh said.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
Advocates of the rights of motorcycle and scooter riders yesterday protested in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei, making three demands. They were joined by 30 passenger vehicles, which surrounded the ministry to make three demands related to traffic regulations — that motorcycles and scooters above 250cc be allowed on highways, that all motorcycles and scooters be allowed on inside lanes, and that driver and rider training programs be reformed. The ministry said that it has no plans to allow motorcycles on national highways for the time being, and said that motorcycles would be allowed on the inner
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition