Activist groups commenced a new series of “Bluebird movement” activities in Taoyuan on Monday night, beginning nationwide public forums and recall drives aiming to oust Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators who “rammed through three amendments to destroy Taiwan’s democracy.”
At a parking lot behind Taoyuan Railway Station, Economic Democracy Union (EDU) convener Lai Chung-chiang (賴中強) criticized “those power-abusive KMT legislators” and told the audience that “we must hold them accountable for their actions in the legislature... We cannot allow them to deprive us of our democratic rights and to steal Taiwan’s democracy.”
Lai called on those present to join a civil disobedience and resistance campaign to fight what he called the “extremist group” in the KMT led by caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁).
Photo: Lin Min-chen, Taipei Times
“This Fu extremist group has carried out so many political maneuvers that the result is a serious crisis facing society and the government. It is not like the old days when the KMT regime imposed martial law and it had total control of the Legislative Yuan. It is time for the democracy movement to rise up again,” Lai said.
He concluded his address by getting the audience, estimated at more than 800, to shout out the slogans: “Defend Taiwanese democracy” and: “Oust KMT legislators,” before outlining a series of “Bluebird movement” activities in cities and counties nationwide.
After launching recall drives against KMT legislators elected in Taoyuan, events are also scheduled in New Taipei City on Thursday next week, in Taichung on Jan. 8, and in Hsinchu and Miaoli counties on Jan. 15, Lai said, adding that there are also plans for activities in Hualien and Taitung counties, but the dates are still under consideration.
EDU and Taiwan Citizen Front officials said they are working to organize three main activities — launching recall drives, civil disobedience and holding KMT legislators accountable at public events.
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