The Taipei District Court yesterday ordered the Taipei City Government pay NT$420,000 in compensation to protesters injured during a rally in the city against nuclear power plants in 2014.
The court also ordered the Taipei City Police Department to pay NT$34,000 in compensation to companies for damaging their audio equipment.
The class-action suit was filed by 15 people with the help of volunteer lawyers.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
On April 27, 2014, thousands of people staged a sit-in protest on Taipei’s Zhongxiao W Road against the use of nuclear power in the nation.
Early the next morning, acting on instructions from then-Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) to vacate the area, police used water cannon and batons to disperse the protesters.
One of the plaintiffs, Shen Po-yao (沈柏耀), said he decided to press charges against the city government, because he believes that people should not be violently punished for holding rallies and demonstrations.
Police officers allegedly kicked him and hit him with a baton, and tore up his leather jacket, even though he was staging a sit-in in a peaceful manner, he said.
One protester lost their vision after being hit by water cannon and several others sustained bruises, while a woman lost her pants.
The police action sparked controversy over the use of water cannon on protesters and prompted the government to establish guidelines for their use to prevent injuries.
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