After a week-long sit-in protest on Ketagalan Boulevard aimed at ousting President Chen-Shui-bian (
Former DPP chairman Shih Ming-teh (
"Everywhere that Chen Shui-bian goes is filled with the color red and the thumbs-down sign. He will see it wherever he goes," Shih said yesterday morning as he joined the protesters gathered in front of Taipei Railway Station.
PHOTO: CNA
Claiming that the symbolic"siege" on Friday night had attracted people from all parties, Shih said the march, which ended around midnight with no major violence or clashes, was an important step on a path of reconciliation between the pan-blue and pan-green camps.
He also questioned supporters of the pro-Chen rally on Ketagalan Boulevard about what they were defending during their rally, urging them to avoid being manipulated by their party or by ethnic considerations.
Following the "siege" on Friday night, the camp moved its sit-in to Taipei Railway Station, as the pan-green camp received approval to use Ketagalan Boulevard until Wednesday.
Jerry Fan (
Prior to the car parade, Fan said an anti-Chen sit-in protest will be held in Kaohsiung tomorrow, followed by a "siege" on September 29, as many supporters of the protest outside Taipei wanted to hold similar events in their cities and counties.
Fan said the camp may provide manpower or technical support, but his remarks were subsequently dismissed by Shih who stressed that he opposed "any dispersal of power."
"Any cities or counties wanting to hold similar sit-in protests need to organize their own events ? I won't leave our main battlefield in Taipei," Shih told a press conference, denying that the camp will initiate any protests outside Taipei.
Shih said that he was inclined to cancel the camp's original plan to hold two more marches tomorrow and on Tuesday, as the "siege" on Friday night had "already set an historic record" and it required time for the "siege" to bring its influence into full play.
Claiming that the siege attracted more than 750,000 people, Shih said it would be "nonsense" to compare the size of the crowd at the pro-Chen rally yesterday with the Friday march.
To support his view he said the "siege" protesters had joined the protest of their own free will, instead of being mobilized.
When asked by a member of the French media whether the camp will accept anything less than Chen stepping down, Shih said there will be "no compromise" on the matter.
"My contract with the protesters is that Chen must step down. I have no right to make any compromises for the people," he said, adding that he would not be meeting Chen to have any negotiations.
If Chen stepped down, Shih said everything should follow protocol and that Vice President Annette Lu (
Staying in the station over the course of Friday night, a middle-aged accountant from Tainan surnamed Chiang said she would support whatever move the anti-Chen camp made next.
"I don't think A-bian will step down. But we still need to express our voice. I want to tell the DPP that A-bian is not the only DPP member. The party should put its future first," she told the Taipei Times.
In related news, Mike Jen (
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