Police said yesterday they would launch an investigation after unidentified people allegedly sprayed pepper spray near Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) founder Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) during a campaign event at Fengjia Night Market in Taichung the previous night, causing harm to him and others nearby.
Ko was in Taichung on Friday, visiting Dajia Jenn Lann Temple (大甲鎮瀾宮) before joining TPP Legislator Chen Ching-lung (陳清龍) in the evening to campaign with city councilor candidate Liu Chin-yu (劉芩妤) at a night market.
Liu, who filed an official report with Taichung police yesterday morning, said two unidentified people on a scooter sprayed pepper spray into the air and towards people in the procession while she and Ko were campaigning on foot.
Photo: CNA
Liu said they were targeted three times within 40 minutes, adding that it appeared to be a premeditated act.
She said the incident left her, Ko and several staff members with respiratory irritation, and also affected nearby members of the public.
According to the Taichung City Police Department’s sixth precinct, officers had been deployed at the campaign activity at Fengjia Night Market on Friday evening as planned, to ensure the event proceeded smoothly.
It added that officers would review their own video recordings and nearby surveillance footage to determine whether pepper spray or another irritant was sprayed.
Police said the campaign route was a pedestrian-only area and they had not found any evidence of two scooter riders or any spraying incident as described.
However, they added that their investigation would continue to clarify the facts and proceed in accordance with the law.
Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) yesterday said she had instructed police to speed up the investigation.
She added that public order must not be threatened and people’s safety must be ensured.
In response to media queries, Ko yesterday said that once emotions of social division and confrontation are triggered, they are difficult to reverse.
That is why social harmony, party reconciliation and cross-strait peace are principles the TPP advocates for, he said, urging against actions that deepen division.
Regarding the incident, Ko said he was walking quickly and noticed a strange odor at the time.
He said he held his breath and quickly passed through, while others nearby were unprepared, adding that his eyes were slightly teary.
TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) yesterday condemned the violence, adding that such an attack is unacceptable in Taiwanese society.
“It is worth reflecting on why Taiwanese society has become so violent, so divided, and so confrontational; this is truly not a good thing for Taiwan,” he said.
Additional reporting by Wong Yu-huang
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