Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.”
Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day.
A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration.
Photo: screen grab from Radio Free Asia’s X account
“Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles.
Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators confronted the couple, warning the man about his behavior.
“Today is to commemorate Hong Kong’s martyrs. We do not celebrate China’s National Day,” it quoted a demonstrator as saying. “We are in Taiwan, and people are free to express their opinion.”
Taiwanese independence advocate Lee Wen-pin (李文賓) and the man reportedly pushed and slapped each other.
“You cannot touch other people’s belongings... We are asking you to leave now,” Lee said, before he called the police.
The man refused to leave and kept saying that “China has sovereignty over Taiwan,” and that “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.”
“Taiwan belongs to Taiwanese, and Hong Kong belongs to Hong Kongers,” the demonstrators said in response.
Later, police officers arrived at the scene and persuaded the couple to leave.
After they left the demonstration continued, joined by activists supporting freedom and democracy in Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang and Southern Mongolia, and Taiwanese independence supporters.
“This should not happen in a free, democratic country. You can speak your mind if you disagree with our views, but he just barged in and started to knock down things and break them,” an event organizer who goes by the name Fu Tong (赴湯) said. “He can return to China if he believes it is fine to live without freedom, but he must not come to Taiwan and try to sabotage our freedom and democracy.”
“This incident showed that Chinese ‘little pinks’ are everywhere, trying to suppress contrary views,” Hong Kong artist Kacey Wong (黃國才) said. “But it is quite unacceptable to see that when the police arrived, the Chinese couple kept shouting that ‘Taiwan belongs to China.’ Taiwanese and Hong Kong exiles must not tolerate this kind of action.”
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) yesterday said the couple contravened the Criminal Code’s sections on “offenses against freedom of another person.”
“Therefore, I demand Taipei police crack down on this violation. The couple should be prosecuted,” Wang said. “We must take action to deal with the delusion of some Chinese who believe they have jurisdiction over Taiwan.”
Separately, DPP Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) criticized what she called the police officers’ inaction and allowing the couple to just walk away.
“This would encourage Chinese visitors to ignore Taiwan’s police and legal authorities. It is wrong,” she said.
“These people made provocative attempts against Taiwan’s democracy and rule of law, and contravened the Criminal Code,” she said. “Taipei police must investigate this incident and prosecute the offenders.”
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
RSS