In order to celebrate Father's Day yesterday, the Presidential Office held its annual Parent-Child Day, allowing its employees to take their children to the office to have tea with President Chen Shui-bian (
While families gathered inside the office, a group of parents staged a protest outside to show their dissatisfaction with the state of the economy.
At the tea party, Chen welcomed the children and wished fathers a happy Father's Day.
PHOTO: LIU HSIN-TE, TAIPEI TIMES
"I hope that when you come to the office today, you can see your parents' workplace and understand how hard their work is. You should study hard, and grow up happily," Chen told the children.
He said that children would be thinking about what to give to their fathers as presents, adding that his son had asked him what he wanted. He said a card with his son's inner thoughts would be enough.
"A father would be happy to receive presents from his children, no matter what those presents are," Chen said.
While Chen was chatting to his little visitors over tea, outside his office a crowd from the Alliance of Unhappy Fathers (
"If he does not hear the people's voice, then next Father's Day it is likely that he will not be in the Presidential Office anymore," said Yao Chiang-lin (
During their protest, alliance members threw a large bowl symbolizing Chen's job to the ground. The bowl broke into pieces, signifying Chen losing his job.
Yao asked the media not to politicize the protest, however, the demonstration was publicized with the help of KMT's Culture and Communication Affairs Committee.
Most protesters wore face masks. When asked why they came to the protest, some participants fidgeted, gave shallow answers or refused to answer and said the leaders up front were saying it all.
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