The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday reminded Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
Moreover, the party asked all supporters to keep away from the rally to avoid conflict, saying that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) may fabricate a bloody incident during the rally and accuse the DPP of resorting to violence.
The DPP said that, according to reliable information, today's rally may get out of control due to the actions of certain elements who wish to incite conflict. Therefore, the party urged Ma to promise ending the rally by the legally permitted time of 6pm.
DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (
"I want all party officials to properly cope with any possible situations, and I warn all party members that those who go to the rally will be severely punished," Chang said.
DPP Deputy Secretary-General Lee Ying-yuan (
"We therefore ask the police directly to expel anyone who is wearing clothing with DPP marks from the rally, because they are absolutely not authorized by the DPP," Lee stressed.
Lee, on behalf of the DPP, asked Ma how he could attend the rally as party leader, and at the same time appeal to demonstrators to go home.
"As the mayor, [Ma's] obligation is to ensure the rights of the 2 million residents and the international image of the city. But as the KMT's presidential campaign manager, you have to mobilize supporters. So we are wondering what role exactly you will choose [today]?" Lee asked.
Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), director of the public affairs department of the DPP's campaign headquarters, also displayed documents from the KMT's Taipei City Headquarters, which showed that the party asked supporters to join the rally and demonstration not only today, but also on Monday.
"The KMT's document says that members should attend the rally to 11pm on Saturday, and attend another demonstration on Monday," Cheng said.
"Mayor Ma has given a privilege to those conducting illegal demonstrations in front of the President Office by giving permission to illegal demonstrations three times over the past week," Cheng said. "We hope that there will be no fourth recurrence on Saturday."
Concerning the DPP supporters' increasing anger with the demonstrations by the pan-blue camp, the party yesterday continued to issue advertisements in newspapers to call on supporters to believe in the government and remain silent.
A free exhibition aimed at teaching the public about air-raid shelters and basic emergency personal protection skills today opened on the concourse level of the Taipei MRT's Ximen Station. The event, organized by the National Police Agency, aims to raise awareness about disaster preparedness ahead of nationwide air raid drills scheduled from July 15 to 18, which are part of broader urban resilience exercises. The exhibition outlines the recommended actions people should take depending on whether they are indoors, commuting or outdoors when air-raid sirens sound. It also teaches people how to equip air-raid shelters and pack emergency "go bags," with displays
A first shipment of five tons of Taiwan tilapia was sent from Tainan to Singapore on Wednesday, following an order valued at NT$600,000 (US$20,500) placed with a company in the city. The products, including frozen whole fish and pre- cooked fish belly, were dispatched from Jiangjun Fishing Harbor, where a new aquatic processing and logistics center is under construction. At the launch, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) called the move a “breakthrough,” marking Taiwan’s expansion into the Singaporean tilapia market. Taiwan’s tilapia exports have traditionally focused on the United States, Canada, and the Middle East, Huang said, adding that the new foothold in
An electric bus charging facility at Taipei Metro’s Beitou Depot officially opened yesterday with 22 charging bays to serve the city’s 886 electric buses. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) told a ceremony to mark the opening of the facility that the city aims to fully electrify its bus fleet by 2030. The number of electric buses has grown from about 650 last year to 886 this year and is expected to surpass 1,000 by the end of the year, Chiang said. Setting up the charging station in a metro depot optimizes land and energy use, as the metro uses power mainly during the
An exhibition demonstrating the rejuvenation of the indigenous Kuskus Village in Pingtung County’s Mudan Township (牡丹) opened at the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s conservation station in Taipei on Thursday. Agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) said they have been promoting the use and development of forestry resources to local indigenous residents for eight years to drive regional revitalization. While modern conservation approaches mostly stem from western scientific research, eco-friendly knowledge and skills passed down through generations of indigenous people, who have lived in Taiwan for centuries, could be more suitable for the environment, he said. The agency’s Pingtung branch Director-General Yang Jui-fen (楊瑞芬)
RSS